Nottingham Forest will begin their defence next week against the Premier League for breaking Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) according to John Percy of the Telegraph.
New: Nottingham Forest’s defence over spending breaches to start next week. Forest to appear before an independent commission, with the case to be resolved (including any appeal) by April 15. Big moment in the season. Includes a Nuno Tavares update #nffc https://t.co/NJ8Io0wvtu
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) February 26, 2024
Nottingham Forest to Begin PSR Defence
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Nottingham Forest Hearing to Commence on March 4
The hearing will begin week commencing March 4, and Forest have appointed sports lawyer Nick de Marco KC and his legal team to fight their case.
On January 15, the Premier League announced that Forest had breached PSR. Forest’s three-year financial period included two Championship seasons, meaning they were only allowed to lose £61 million in the three years up to June 30, 2023. The figures concerning how much Forest breached PSR in this three year financial period has not been made public yet.
Nottingham Forest To Focus on Johnson Sale
The Reds’ defence will focus on the £47.5 million sale of Brennan Johson on September 1, 2023. Before the end of the financial year in June 2023, Forest received £30 million and £35 million bids from Brentford. However, they rejected these bids as they were waiting for a bigger offer to maximise profit from the sale.
Read More: Why do Nottingham Forest Keep Losing 3-2?
Nick de Marco KC will appear in front of a three-person independent commission and will likely use the sale of Johnson as the main defence.
The case has to be heard and concluded by April 15, which allows time for the club to appeal.
Everton Precedent Set
Everton’s ten-point deduction was reduced to six on Monday, February 26, moving the Merseyside club a point clear of Forest in the table. The Tricky Trees are now 17th in the Premier League table and are four points above the relegation zone.
Nuno Espirito Santo Responds
In his pre-match press conference for the FA Cup game against Manchester United on Wednesday, February 28, Nuno Espirito Santo said: “My job is to prepare the team and there are people inside the club who are taking care of it.
Read More: Analysing The Impact of Nuno Espírito Santo at Nottingham Forest
“It doesn’t make sense to think about what might happen. I cannot tell you much, we all have to wait and the decision with us has to be made – then we will see.
“These questions are not appropriate for me. Our focus has to be on the training, the matches and the preparation, and our tasks.”
