Former financial advisor Stefan Borson claims that Chelsea and Manchester City could drop out of the league as a result of Everton losing 10 points for not following Financial Fair Play (FFP).

Man City’s legal advisor, Stefan Borson, posted on social media platform X that “the 10-point deduction against Everton for violating financial fair play is somewhat harsh.” “But it reinforces that the measures Punishment against Man City, if proven, and now Chelsea if charged and admitting off-the-books payments, will likely lead to relegation.”

The Premier League Organizing Committee charged Man City with FFP violations 115 times between 2009 and 2018 in February. It will be looked into and handled by an impartial committee, but it will take two to four years. Man City surprised everyone and refuted all of the allegations in a statement.

Stefan Borson also mentioned demotion as a possible punishment if Man City was proven guilty at that time on social network X. Journalist Nick Harris from Sportmail stated in the comments section: “Stefan, a Man City supporter, a former banker, and a lawyer who is currently the CEO and general counsel for PLC, addresses claims of past accounting problems. Also effectively handles FFP concerns. Thus, this is a thought-provoking viewpoint.

The Premier League was expected to investigate Chelsea for several payments connected to previous owner Roman Abramovich, according to reports in the British media earlier this week. It has been reported that the Russian oligarch, who has controlled Stamford Bridge for almost 20 years, paid Chelsea using money from outside corporations.

Following Chelsea’s announcement that the new owner had learned of “possibly incomplete financial reports” pertaining to Abramovich’s tenure during the acquisition assessment process, the Premier League launched an investigation into the club.

A Chelsea official stressed that the accusations are unrelated to any current Chelsea players and exclusively pertain to Abramovich’s tenure. They are also based on records that the club has not yet provided. Although they have not responded to the accusations, the Premier League is expected to thoroughly examine the material that has been reported.

Everton was the first team in Premier League history to have points taken away for breaking financial fair play regulations on November 17. With four points—just better than Burnley’s goal differential—Everton drops to 19th place as soon as the penalty is called. Goodison Park’s owner deemed the fine unjust and plans to file an appeal.

Following Everton’s alleged financial rule violations in the 2021–2022 season, the Premier League aggressively withheld a significant number of points in order to set a precedent. Over a three-year period, the club also disclosed financial losses of up to 463 million USD. This amount exceeds by $311 million the maximum loss a Premier League club is permitted to incur during a three-year period. According to the allegations, Everton violated the profitability and sustainability standards (PSR) in relation to accounting treatment.

Everton declares that it always respects the integrity of the process and is open and transparent in the information it provides to the competition. They signed a forced contract with the League that requires them to operate under stringent budgetary constraints starting in 2021—basically, a wage cap—which means they will have to sell in order to acquire players.

That has been amply demonstrated throughout the last four transfer windows, as Everton spent less than other Premier League teams during that time, with a net spending of -35 million USD. Everton said this is proof that the team has tried to follow the rules.