Point deductions in football occur as a punishment for various infractions, such as financial irregularities, breaches of regulations, or misconduct.
These deductions can significantly impact a team’s standing in a league or tournament.
Here are the top 5 most substantial point deductions.
1. Luton Town FC
Luton Town FC faced a severe penalty in the English Football League in 2007.
The club was hit with a 30-point deduction due to financial mismanagement,
sending them tumbling down the standings and ultimately relegating them from the Football League Championship to League Two.
2. Juventus
Juventus in the 2006 “Calciopoli” scandal in Italy.
The club was implicated in a match-fixing scandal, resulting in their Serie A title being revoked and a 30-point deduction imposed.
This severe penalty saw Juventus relegated to Serie B, marking a dramatic fall from the pinnacle of Italian football.
Read Also: Everton Issue 10-Point Deduction As Penalty For Breaching Profitability & Sustainability Rules
3. Elche CF
In 2015, Spanish club Elche CF was docked 24 points in the La Liga for financial irregularities related to unpaid taxes.
This punishment led to their relegation from the top-flight league.
4. Everton
Everton added their name to the list of Premier League sides to receive a points punishment, with their 10-point deduction the biggest in league history.
Burnley and Leeds United both wrote to the Premier League to request an investigation into Everton’s finances in May 2022 after the Toffees recorded losses of £371.8m over the three previous years.
The tension arose because of the relegation battle at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, which Everton and Leeds only narrowly survived.
That investigation was opened in March 2023 and the 10-point punishment followed in November.
5. Portsmouth
Portsmouth FC, an English club, encountered financial turmoil in 2010,
which led to their administration and subsequent drop into the English Football League Championship.
They suffered a nine-point deduction that season due to their financial predicament.
The impact of point deductions extends beyond immediate relegation consequences.
Teams often struggle to recover from such penalties due to the loss of points affecting subsequent seasons and the financial repercussions that follow.
The severity of point deductions varies based on the gravity of the offense and the league’s regulations.
While some clubs manage to recover and regain their footing after such setbacks, others face prolonged periods of struggle and instability.
These instances highlight the significant impact that point deductions can have on football clubs, affecting not just their league standings but also their financial stability and long-term prospects.
