A former Premier League lawyer has warned that any football clubs seeking compensation claims similar to Burnley’s landmark £40m award against Everton will face significant procedural and substantive hurdles, dampening hopes that Manchester City or Chelsea might soon be on the hook for massive payouts. The independent disciplinary commission’s decision to order Everton to pay an eight-figure sum to Burnley earlier this month has been widely seen as a potential trigger for a wave of similar claims. In theory, that could affect Manchester City if they are found guilty of more than 100 charges brought by the Premier League, or Chelsea, who have admitted making undisclosed payments.
Burnley successfully argued that Everton’s breach of spending rules in the 2021-22 season denied them a fair chance of staying in the top flight, leading to their relegation that year. Everton have since appealed the decision. Akshay Sewlikar, a partner at Michelman Robinson who acted for the Premier League in its initial prosecution of Everton for those rule breaches, has now stepped in to sound a note of caution about the wider implications of the case.
“While the Burnley v Everton case is notable because it permits