Gary Neville declares Premier League 'defunct' as Everton face 10-point penalty
The 10-point penalty imposed on Everton shows the Premier League is a "defunct organisation", former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has said.
Gary Neville.The 10-point penalty imposed on Everton shows the Premier League is a "defunct organisation", former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has said.
An independent commission sanctioned the Toffees last week after they exceeded losses permitted under the league's profitability and sustainability rules by £19.5million in the three seasons ending in 2021-22.
Neville compared Everton's penalty with the £3.5m fines imposed on the ‘Big Six' clubs in 2021 over their involvement in an attempt to launch a European Super League.
Neville described what those clubs had done as "the attempted murder" of football.
"Everton's trust and faith (in the Premier League) has gone completely. The greed and selfishness is out of control – it's lawless," he said on the Stick to Football podcast brought to you by Sky Bet.
"The Premier League is a defunct organisation because they've got 20 clubs all voting with self-interest. This has been coming for many years.
"The Super League clubs that tried to destroy the whole of European football – they were fined a total of £22m, £3.5m for each team, which is an absolute disgrace and a scandal for what they attempted to do, which was the attempted murder of our game.
"I actually feel sorry for the executives at the Premier League because I think they're dealing with a mob that you can't control."
Everton have appealed against the sanction, but could yet face compensation claims from other clubs.
Neville's former United team-mate Roy Keane told the same podcast Everton should just "take their medicine".
"I know it's extreme with 10 points, but it brings a bit of closure to Everton after a difficult few years, and we all think that from a football point of view they'll still be able to stay up," he said.
"They'll have enough to stay up, have got a cup game coming up, and can try and get the feel-good factor back in the club and take their medicine, have closure, move on, and learn from their past mistakes."