Nottingham Forest were unsuccessful in their appeal against a Premier League points deduction

Nottingham Forest have been unsuccessful in their appeal against a four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Forest were deducted four points by an independent panel appointed by the Premier League in March after they admitted breaching the PSR, having spent £34.5m over three years.

Under the guidelines, Forest would have been hit with a six-point penalty, but the Premier League received a less severe penalty for his “early appeal” and “excellent co-operation”.

Forrest presented his defense at a hearing on April 24, but an independent appeals panel decided to uphold the original sentence.

The Premier League said in a statement that Forest argued that “the independent panel made an error in not treating the sale of a high-profile player so soon after the assessment period as a mitigating factor, and that it made a further error in choosing not to ban it.” Some or all of the points it imposed.” But they added, “The Board of Appeal rejected all of these reasons, finding that the independent committee was entitled to impose the penalty it imposed immediately.”

Forest remains in 17th place in the table, three points behind Luton Town and the relegation zone, with two matches remaining in the season.

The club initially described themselves as “extremely dismayed by the tone and content of the Premier League’s requests” following its deduction, adding that they were “also surprised that the Premier League had given absolutely no consideration to the club’s unique circumstances and mitigation”. .

Forest argued that they were at a serious disadvantage compared to other Premier League clubs who had much higher spending limits due to their longevity in the top flight.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s team will next play against Chelsea at the City Ground on Saturday, before the final match of the season against Burnley.

Forest, points deduction and VAR

“Clarity for the jungle amidst frustration”

Analysis from The Athletic’s Nottingham Forest correspondent Paul Taylor

At least Nottingham Forest now have clarity on what they need to do to secure a third season of Premier League football.

There is great frustration behind the scenes at the City Ground because their appeal against the four-point penalty for breaching profit and sustainability regulations has been unsuccessful.

There was a feeling among the forest hierarchy that the punishment was too severe. We now know that this mood was not reflected in the appeals panel that heard their case on Wednesday 24 April.

But the club now has clarity on what is needed to avoid slipping into the bottom three and, ultimately, a return to the Championship.

It very much remains in their hands. They know that their fate should be decided on the field, not in the office.

In their remaining two matches, against Chelsea and Burnley, they must pick up more points than 18th-placed Luton and Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, 19th, ahead of already relegated Sheffield United.

Forest have a three-point advantage over Luton and boast a superior goal difference of -18 compared to Luton’s -29. So, barring some very interesting results on the final day, a win over Chelsea this weekend would be almost enough.

This has been a chaotic season, overshadowed by controversy over PSR and VAR, outspoken statements on social media and the failed experiment of appointing Mark Clattenburg as refereeing analyst.

But Forrest knows what they must do to make sure his ending is positive.

How did we get here?

Forest have signed more than 40 players since gaining promotion in May 2022, with owner Evangelos Marinakis agreeing to spend around £250 million ($318 million) to help the club establish itself in the top flight.

Forest believed they worked within regulations when it came to losses allowed with much of the issues centered around the sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur.

The club’s argument – which they made in talks with the Premier League – was that they could have sold Johnson early in the window but doing so at that stage would have meant accepting a significantly lower price. It was not sold until September 1, well after the end of the financial year, for £47.5 million.

New guidance has been introduced aimed at speeding up PSR decisions to ensure that any fundamental breaches of the regulations are dealt with in time for penalties, such as points deductions, to be made in the same season in which the charge is made.

All clubs had to submit their accounts for 2022-2023 by December 31 – instead of March as they had previously done – with any subsequent breaches and accusations confirmed 14 days later.

Go deeper

What is a PSR and why do Premier League rules only allow clubs to lose £105m?

(Tony McArdle/Everton via Getty Images)