An independent appeal board has upheld the decision to deduct Nottingham Forest four points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. The club were punished in March and have been unsuccessful with their appeal, leaving them facing a nervy end to the season. Forest sit three points above the Premier League relegation zone with two games remaining. Nottingham Forest’s appeal against a four-point penalty has been unsuccessful, leaving the club facing a nervy battle for Premier League survival.
Forest were handed the deduction in March for breaching the league’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
They were punished for having overspent by £34.5m over a three-year period, but appealed the decision. However, an independent appeal board upheld the original four-point penalty, leaving Forest three points above the relegation zone with two games left in the 2023-24 season.
A Premier League statement said: “The PSR sanction applied to the assessment period ending season 2022/23 and was appealed by the club on two grounds.
“The club argued that the independent commission committed an error in not treating its sale of a high-profile player shortly after the assessment period as a mitigating factor, and that it committed a further error in electing not to suspend some or all of the points deduction it imposed.
“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.”
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are 17th in the table on 29 points, while Luton Town are on 26 points and Burnley are on 24 points. Bottom side Sheffield United, on 16 points, have already been relegated. Forest’s final two games are at home to Chelsea and away to relegation rivals Burnley, while Luton travel to West Ham before hosting Fulham, and Burnley are at Tottenham in the penultimate round.
According to The Athletic, Forest risked a six-point penalty but were given a reduced deduction due to their “early plea” and “excellent cooperation.”
Forest have signed more than 40 players since they returned to the English top-flight ahead of the 2022/23 season.
An outlay of around £250m has been splashed on transfers in that time.
They were the second team this season to be hit with a points penalty for a PSR breach.
Everton were hit with a 10-point sanction in November that was later reduced to six points in February following an appeal. They have also appealed against a further two-point deduction for breaching PSR rules.
Forest earned a 3-1 win away to Sheffield United on Saturday to boost their survival hopes and end a four-match winless run.
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