Nottingham Forest are set to learn their fate today regarding potential FFP punishment according to reports
Nottingham Forest will today discover whether they have been charged under the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations, according to reports.
A report published by The Athletic on Sunday evening suggested Forest, along with Everton, are due to be found in breach of the rules and are therefore set to be hit with a punishment from the Premier League.
Under the league’s profit and sustainability rules, clubs are allowed to lose a maximum of £105million or £35m per season over a rolling three-year cycle.
Should it be confirmed the Reds have fallen foul of such guidelines, this could have huge implications for the team’s chances of survival this season as a possible points deduction could be issued.
Below, we have rounded up the key information relating to this case.
When is a decision expected to be announced on profit and sustainability breaches?
It is anticipated Forest and other Premier League clubs will be informed today, Monday, January 15, of any breaches committed.
Yes. As was recently seen with Everton’s ten-point deduction, the Blues launched a formal appeal against this verdict and are waiting to hear the outcome of this. The Athletic have claimed Forest have already “prepared mitigation” and expect to “robustly argue their case”.
The Premier League have reportedly chosen May 24 as a deadline for any appeal, ensuring teams could complete the current campaign without knowing their true final position or which division they may be competing in the following year.
Why have clubs been made to submit accounts so early?
Changes to Premier League rules last year mean that clubs are now required to submit their accounts in December, four months earlier than the previous March date.
This was introduced to allow the Premier League to be able to hand out punishments in the same season they are charged with flouting the rules.
In Everton’s case, their points deduction came in the 2023-2024 season, two years after the campaign they were found to be in breach of the rules.
What punishment could Forest face?
Everton were hit with a costly points deduction in November for failing to adhere to profit and sustainability rules, and the same could apply to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on this occasion. Alternatively, a fine could be imposed on the club. It remains to be seen how seriously the league views how the club have acted, which will ultimately be the determiner for how severe the consequences will be.
Why are Forest in the position of being at risk?
Where issues may crop up relates to the £250m spent by the club since securing promotion to the Premier League. Forest’s only major sale during this time was Brennan Johnson’s departure for Tottenham Hotspur, which brought in a total of £47.5m, but that was on deadline day in August.
What have Nottingham Forest said regarding their spending?
A club spokesman said earlier in January: “The club has fully complied with its reporting obligations in respect of the Premier League’s revised profit and sustainability rules. Promotion to the Premier League will always create challenges, and the treatment of promotion bonuses is just one such example. The club approaches all such challenges with its long-term financial sustainability firmly in mind, as the Premier League rules intended.
