Leeds United’s promotion rivals Leicester City have lost £215.3million over the last three submitted financial years, leaving them virtually certain for punishment, but time for justice this year is slim-to-none.
Relegation from the Premier League is a hammer blow to any club’s finances, no matter whether you were working within the agreed remits or bending the rules.
For Leeds and Southampton, outgoings and a significant trimming of the wage bill were a must, but Leicester City have gambled hugely on getting straight back into the top flight.
The Foxes’ drop out of the Premier League came after a number of years of financial mismanagement that has seemingly caught up with them this season.
A report from the Telegraph has shared just the extent of their woes right now, with latest accounts meaning their three-year rolling loss amounts to £215.3million – which includes recent sales of James Maddison and Wesley Fofana that brought in a combined £110million.
What is also shared is “many Championship clubs” are demanding a sanction as soon as possible for Enzo Maresca’s side, something you’d imagine Leeds would be involved in, given the direct rivalry between the two clubs right now.
It appears as though Leeds will be within the guidelines set by the governing bodies with regards to losses permitted, which surely makes the 49ers irate with the EFL and how they look to punish Leicester.
With six games left in the season and Leicester only just being clamped down upon by the powers that be, it leaves virtually no time left for a fitting sanction to be imposed that balances out their current sporting advantage.
Points deductions would be the only way, but it would be naive to expect such a development in the run-in to the end of the season.
Leicester are pretty much certain to suffer the same fate as Everton and Nottingham Forest, but much like these two have been slapped on the wrist after already exercising their advantage in the 22/23 survival race, Leicester might be an irrelevant side in Leeds’ cause when judgement arrives – something the 49ers should be contesting.
