- Nottingham Forest’s appeal against a four-point Premier League deduction for breaching PSR has been denied.
- The club remains three points above the relegation zone with two games left.
- Forest argued that spending restrictions on promoted clubs undermined the league’s integrity and competitiveness, and that the sale of Brennan Johnson should be treated as mitigation.
- The independent appeal board rejected these arguments, upholding the decision of the independent commission to impose the sanction immediately.
- The club breached permitted losses of £61m by £34.5m, with permitted losses limited due to time spent in the Championship.
Newsypeople- Nottingham Forest’s appeal against a four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules was denied, leaving the club facing the threat of relegation this season.
The appeal was centered around two main arguments: the timing of the sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur and the request to suspend some or all of the points deduction. However, both arguments were rejected by the independent Appeal Board.
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The original sanction for the breach of PSR was upheld, which means Forest will remain in the relegation battle. The club had admitted to breaching the Premier League’s PSR rules by £34.5 million over a three-year period. Despite this, Forest argued that the independent commission had not taken into consideration the “unique circumstances of the club and its mitigation” to stay under the limit. The appeal board dismissed these arguments, stating that the commission was entitled to immediately impose the sanction it did.
Nottingham Forest have failed in their appeal to have their four-point deduction for breaking financial rules in the 2022/23 season overturned ❌ pic.twitter.com/J3m5kVoFvK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 7, 2024
The sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur shortly after the end of the relevant financial year was not considered a mitigating factor by the commission. Forest also felt that not suspending some or all of the points deduction was “a further error”. However, the appeal board found that neither argument was valid, leading to the rejection of the appeal.
This decision leaves Nottingham Forest three points clear of Luton Town and the relegation zone with two games of the season remaining. Despite boosting their hopes with a 3-1 win over already relegated Sheffield United, Forest faces a challenging path to survival, with fixtures against Chelsea and Burnley, who are 19th and trail Forest by five points, still to play.
The PSR regulations allow clubs maximum losses of £105 million over a three-year assessment, but this is reduced by £22 million per season for any seasons within the period spent in the Championship. Forest’s appeal highlighted the club’s concerns about the PSR rules potentially undermining the integrity and competitiveness of the Premier League.
