Everton have hired lawyer Laurence Rabinowitz to strengthen their defence and reduce their points deduction.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about Everton’s decision to appoint a highly-rated lawyer to their legal team.
As reported by The Times, Everton have added Rabinowitz to their legal team with the lawyer considered one of the best barristers in the UK.
The Toffees were handed a 10-point deduction in November for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
The Merseyside club exceeded the £105million allowable losses over a three-year rolling period.
Everton now face a second deduction after being charged with breaching financial rules again in their 2022/23 accounts on Monday (15 January).
Maguire believes the appointment of Rabinowitz will help Everton’s argument regarding stadium costs and Covid-19 expenses.
“Everton are exploring all avenues to try and successfully defend their 10-point penalty,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“I think they will be able to argue that the interest payments on the stadium have not given them a benefit on the pitch and therefore potentially could be excluded from the calculations.
“They can also argue the costs of running the club during Covid-19 and the unique circumstances surrounding a specific player.
“So having an experienced lawyer on their team will help to identify the weaknesses in the argument with regard to the commission’s 10-point deduction.
“This will focus mainly on procedural issues, but also look at any of the defence put forward by Everton in the first place as to whether it was communicated appropriately.“
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