Everton, and the wider footballing world, were rocked in late November.
With well-documented financial issues, many assumed that they might have been within the threshold for punishment despite admitting their struggles and complying with the Premier League.
Well, few could possibly have predicted the eventual sanction, with a ten-point deduction administered that sent them hurtling into the relegation zone.
It was a decision largely condemned, and one which they sought to appeal speedily.
That appeal process is actually set to receive a huge, and rather timely boost now though, with The Times reporting that Everton have now added superstar lawyer Laurence Rabinowitz to their legal time in order to fight the ruling.
Within the report, they state that the Toffees are following in the footsteps of Manchester City with their proposed defence, who are yet to stand trial for their alleged 115 breaches.
Why were Everton deducted ten points?
Whilst few argued with the fact that some punishment was deserved, many of the grievances stemmed from the severity of the outcome rather than the decision itself.
After all, they had been ran into the ground by Farhad Moshiri, and yet it is the fanbase who have arguably been hit hardest by the sanction.
It was officially reported that the club were given their points deduction due to a £19m overspend from the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, although that is still argued today.
Especially given Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has sought to reveal how the process altered mid-trial to worsen Everton’s chances of escaping punishment.
Will Everton be successful in their appeal?
It almost marks an impossible job to predict the outcome of this saga, in which many Everton fans will feel aggrieved that they were punished so harshly in the first place.
After all, as aforementioned, that minute overspend hardly merited the most severe points deduction in top-flight history.
However, with Rabinowitz on their side, it is certain that their case is set to be bolstered.
Especially given his quality is likened to that of Lord Pannick KC, who Manchester City have employed to try and avoid any sanction at all.
If Pep Guardiola’s club can keep dodging these punishments, despite pumping mouth-watering sums of money into the game with regularity, then surely someone as capable as the man in question can do the same for Everton.
After all, there have been many debating the likelihood of success, with some certainly more positive than others.
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