Burnley's case against Everton, essentially saying that the Toffees earned a sporting advantage that ultimately led to Burnley's relegation to the Premier League in 2022, has been decided upon by a Premier League Independent Disciplinary Commission.
The panel opted to fine Everton roughly £40 million, concluding that the club's PSR breach (for which it was docked a total of 10 points in 2023/24) impacted Burnley's ability to stay in the top flight.
Burnley was back in the Premier League after one season in the Championship before being relegated again after the 2023/24 season, winning the Championship title again the following season, followed by a third relegation in as many tries this past year.
How that ultimately makes Everton responsible for the Clarets' back and forth from the two levels feels suspect, a fact that Everton made abundantly clear with the statement released by the club in the aftermath of the decision.
Noting that the club is appealing the decision, the statement goes on to say that Everton "does not recognise the findings of the panel in determining Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League in May 2022 was caused by a sporting advantage gained by Everton due to a breach of Profit & Sustainability Rules, for which a substantive sporting sanction has already been received."
It goes on to note that the "ruling sets a dangerous and unworkable precedent for English football, given it is constructed on a principle that a club can be in breach of financial rules at any point in a financial year," later indicating that they expect the appeal to be successful.
As an Evertonian, it's hard to look at this ruling and not feel as though the club is being hard done yet again by a supposedly "independent" panel. This is the same group that decided to levy the initial points deductions that ultimately wound up docking the Toffees 10 points total via two punishments.
Burnley's pendulum of seasons in and out of the Premier League suggests that they weren't a club built to stay in the top flight anyway, even if that first season marked their sixth straight in the top flight.
Ultimately, Burnley just weren't very good that year, and anyone saying that Everton "gained an advantage" that year wasn't paying attention.
In the end, this fine and holding Everton responsible for Burnley's relegation, given the circumstances, is unreasonable and wrong.
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