Keith Hackett has piled the pressure on Premier League chiefs, demanding total transparency after a fuming David Moyes laid bare the “unfair” gulf in punishment between his Everton side and Chelsea.
The former top whistler says the Toffees boss is well within his rights to ask the question every fan outside Stamford Bridge is screaming why was Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea let off with a fine and a suspended ban for dodgy agent payments, while Everton got hammered with EIGHT points docked?
It’s a row that has blown the lid off the Premier League’s haphazard disciplinary process, leaving Goodison regulars seeing red over what they reckon is a slap on the wrist for the West London megaclub.
Moyes didn’t hold back when he fronted the media ahead of his side’s latest clash. The Scot, who wasn’t at the Everton helm during their own points deductions, made it crystal clear he wants answers over how the Blues landed a £47.5m related punishment for secret payments spanning 2011 to 2018 without losing a single point.
“I would actually like to hear a bit more about it,” he said, his frustration simmering. “I’m expecting more of the details and why and this isn’t against Chelsea as I wasn’t at Everton at the time we were deducted a huge points number.
“I don’t think they have explained it well enough in the reasoning what the fine was and why it was. I think it would be good if we heard a little bit more how they got to that decision of fine with Chelsea rather than a points deduction, for example.”
The list of stars involved in those payments reads like a fantasy XI. Ramires (£17m), David Luiz (£21.3m), Eden Hazard (£32m), Andre Schurrle (£18m), Samuel Eto’o (free), Willian (£30m) and Nemanja Matic (£21m) were all named in the sanction, a raft of signings that fuelled Chelsea’s trophy laden era.
Now Hackett, the respected ex referee, has waded in, telling Goodison News that Moyes was spot on and should not face any nonsense from the powers that be for speaking his mind.
“He has asked a question that many people would like answering in detail,” Hackett said. “It would be helpful to the game. Transparency on the matter would help the understanding of the rules and regulations. What changes have been made to the rules that regulate these matters in recent times.
“I don’t think that David Moyes should be sanctioned in any way, he has raised a question, let’s hope that he gets an answer.”
And the sense of injustice on Merseyside? It’s palpable. Everton were slapped with two separate points deductions last season for Profit and Sustainability breaches, with the Premier League essentially arguing financial penalties weren’t a proper deterrent for clubs backed by wealthy owners.
Yet Chelsea bankrolled by Abramovich’s fortune at the time walked away with what feels like a parking ticket. The fury is simple: if the Toffees got the book thrown at them for spending rules, how did a club splashing out on the likes of Hazard and Luiz via secret side deals not lose a single point?
The Premier League has so far offered little clarity, leaving Everton fans convinced there is a two tier system when it comes to justice.
The Friedkin Group’s takeover has finally steadied the ship at Goodison, with the new regime striking commercial deals and dragging the club out of the financial mire after years of chaos. But for the supporters, the memory of those eight points and the sight of Chelsea escaping unscathed isn’t fading anytime soon.
This row ain’t going away. With Moyes refusing to button it and Hackett calling for full disclosure, the Premier League are now under the microscope to explain how one club gets a fine and the other gets its season torpedoed.
Everton’s next fixture offers a chance to focus on the pitch, but off it, the anger is simmering and they’ll want answers long before the final whistle.
