Nottingham Forest’s appeal against the Premier League point penalty unsuccessful

The English top flight stated on Tuesday that Nottingham Forest’s appeal against a four-point penalty for breaking Premier League financial rules had been unsuccessful.

An independent commission sanctioned the club in March for exceeding the profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) threshold by £34.5 million, which amounted to £61 million ($76 million).

The original punishment, which is related to a three-year assessment term that ends with the 2022–2023 season, was maintained by an independent appeal board panel, notwithstanding Forest’s prompt announcement that they intended to appeal.

With two games remaining, the team in 17th place is still on 29 points, three points above the relegation zone.

Forest had requested a decrease in the sentence because they believed the original commission ought to have included the high-profile transfer of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham, which occurred two months after the fiscal year that ended in 2023, as a mitigating circumstance.

Additionally, they believed that the original commission erred in failing to suspend the sentence whole or in part.

The club claimed that the independent commission erred in two ways: first, by failing to consider the sale of a well-known player soon after the assessment period as a mitigating factor; and second, by choosing not to suspend all or part of the points deduction it had imposed. The release was posted on the Premier League website.

“Each of these grounds was rejected by the appeal board, which found the independent commission was entitled to immediately impose the sanction it did.

“The four-point deduction will therefore remain in place.”

In November, Everton were docked 10 points for breaching PSR, reduced to six on appeal, while a separate two-point deduction imposed on the club for a separate breach is under appeal.

The Goodison Park club are now clear of relegation danger following a run of good results.

Premier League clubs are usually allowed maximum losses of £105 million over a three-year assessment period but this is reduced by £22 million per season for any seasons within the period spent in the Championship.

Forest, two time European champions, were promoted to the Premier League in May 2022, meaning two seasons of their three-year assessment period were as a second-tier club.