Leicester City await verdict as landmark PSR hearing begins | OneFootball

Leicester City enter a decisive week in their season as an independent commission prepares to hear allegations of multiple breaches of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). The outcome could carry profound consequences, including the possibility of a significant points deduction imposed this season while the club compete in the Championship, according to reports from Sky Sports.

The hearing, expected to run for two days, will see legal teams from both Leicester and the Premier League present evidence on three charges: exceeding the PSR limit during the 2023-24 campaign, failing to file annual accounts before the 31 December deadline, and neglecting an obligation to provide full and prompt assistance to league investigators. A verdict could arrive before Christmas or early in the new year, with all parties pushing for swift resolution.

Crucially, rule changes introduced in 2024 mean that any sanction handed down by a Premier League-appointed commission can now be enforced by the EFL, closing the legal loophole Leicester successfully used last season when arguing the Premier League lacked jurisdiction once they had been relegated.

This time, however, the context is different. An arbitration panel ruled in May that the Premier League does have jurisdiction to investigate alleged breaches, paving the way for new charges. Leicester are expected to contest the validity of the non-compliance accusations, arguing they were under no obligation to file accounts during the period in which jurisdiction was disputed.

A penalty remains difficult to predict, with the precise scale of Leicester’s financial breach still undisclosed. Yet a nine-point deduction, three points for each charge, has been described by insiders as a realistic prospect.

Currently 10th in the Championship, Leicester would almost certainly appeal any punishment, prolonging a saga that continues to cast uncertainty over their campaign.

GFN | Finn Entwistle