Leicester Football Club has welcomed a decision that supports their position on taking action in accordance with applicable rules. The Premier League expressed surprise and disappointment at the decision to uphold Leicester’s appeal.

The organization had been pursuing the club over a reported deficit of £19.5m, which exceeded the permitted £105m deficit up to June 30, 2023. Initially, a commission upheld the Premier League’s view that Leicester had breached the rules, but this decision was overturned on appeal.

The key argument revolved around whether the club was still a member of the Premier League and thus subject to sanctions. The club’s lawyers argued that their shareholding in the Premier League had been transferred to Luton Town, which meant the Premier League had no specific provision to penalize them as they were no longer top-flight members.

The Premier League expressed that the appeal board’s decision effectively meant they could not take action against the club for exceeding the relevant threshold, despite being league members from 2019/20 to 2022/23. This decision will be a major boost for Leicester boss Steve Cooper, as any points penalty would have made retaining the club’s status more difficult.