Birmingham City Hit With A Nine Point Deduction Over Financial Fair Play

Championship club Birmingham City have been hit with a nine point deduction this season after falling foul of the league's Profitability and Sustainability rules.

Clubs in the second tier of English football are allowed to up to £39 million of losses over a three year period and the Midlands club have been found guilty of breaching that after finances for the 2017/18 season showed losses of £37.5 million for that year alone.

The hearing over the clubs potential punishment started earlier this week and it was thought that the EFL were pushing for them to be hit with a 12 point deduction.

Instead they have been given a nine point deduction, although there is no further fine or transfer ban to add their punishment which will come as a relief.

The club are believed to have been harshly treated, despite a lesser punishment than the one the league reportedly wanted to give them.

At the moment all major financial decisions that the club make have to be agreed by the EFL, which has so far stopped them renewing the contract for club captain Michael Morrison, with his deal expiring in the summer.

The reason that the St Andrews club will feel aggrieved at their punishment is that QPR, Bournemouth and Leicester City were all allowed to reach cash settlements rather than be given points deductions for similar indiscretions.

Garry Monk's side had been doing well this season and were in the hunt for a play-off spot until their form fell away recently.

They have lost four games in a row, including the derby against Aston Villa, and were seven points off a spot in the play-offs. Today's news puts them back to 41 points and just five above Rotherham United, who currently hold the final relegation place.

A Birmingham fan recently attacked Jack Grealish during the game against Aston Villa. Image: PA Images

It's not been a good few weeks for the Blues with a fan given a 14 week prison sentence for running on the pitch during the derby game with Villa and attacking Jack Grealish.

Grealish later went on to score a late winner and the club have also lost the two games since.

They now have to save their season in the next eight games with tricky matches against West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United next.

Ryan Sidle

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