Izuchukwu OkosiEverton’s 10-point deduction by the Premier League for breaching Premier League financial rules have been reduced to six points after an appeal.
The Merseysiders were docked 10 points back in November 2022 after being accused of breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in the three-year period to 2021-22.
The initial punishment – the biggest in Premier League history – took Everton from 14th to 19th in the table.
The reduction in the ban has now lifted Sean Dyche’s team them from 17th to 15th in the Premier League table.
Everton, who admitted the breach, said they are “satisfied” with the reduction.
They are facing another possible points deduction after being charged in January with breaching rules for a second time, for the three seasons up to 2022-23, which must be heard by 8 April.
A Premier League statement on Monday read: “Everton FC appealed the sanction imposed against it on nine grounds, each of which related to the sanction rather than the fact of the breach.”
A three-person appeal board concluded that the independent commission which imposed the 10-point ban “made legal errors” on two grounds.
It said the commission was “wrong” to punish Everton for being “less than frank” over what it told the Premier League about its new stadium debt.
The appeal board also said the commission was “wrong not to take into account available benchmarks” and that a six-point sanction was “broadly in line” with English Football League guidelines.
Everton reiterated the appeal board’s decision to overturn the commission’s finding that they failed to act in good faith was “an incredibly important point of principle.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
