Leeds United rivals Leicester City issue strong second statement to confirm next steps after EFL decision

Leicester City have released a second statement to confirm they have initiated legal proceedings against both the Premier League and the EFL.

The Foxes were charged by the Premier League on Thursday afternoon for an alleged breach of the competition's Profit and Sustainability rules during their time in the top flight and they have now been placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL as well. The EFL will be conducting its own investigation into proceedings, given Leicester's current Championship status and the transfer embargo prevents the club from registering new players in that time.

Leicester, who are expected to release their accounts next week and sit just below Leeds United in the table, have been referred to an independent commission and while the case isn't clear cut at present, they run the risk of a points deduction at the start of next season.

The club responded defiantly when the news broke, demonstrating their disappointment with the timing of the charge. However, in a fresh statement released on Friday afternoon, they have outlined their next steps as they plan fight their corner.

The statement read: "LCFC has been compelled today to issue two urgent legal proceedings against the Premier League and the EFL. LCFC will be seeking that each of these proceedings is determined by an appropriate and fully independent legal panel.

"The Club is committed to ensure that any charges against it are properly and proportionately determined, in accordance with the applicable rules, by the right bodies, and at the right time.

"While LCFC would prefer the proceedings to be in public, so its supporters and the wider world can be informed about the important issues of football governance that will be considered, the relevant rules require that these proceedings are conducted confidentially, and LCFC will therefore not be able to comment further about them at this stage.

"We reaffirm the Club’s position that we will continue to fight for the right of Leicester City and all clubs to pursue their ambitions, particularly where these have been reasonably and fairly established through sustained sporting achievement.

"The Club further notes that at 4pm today the EFL issued a public notification that LCFC has been placed under a registration embargo pursuant to its P&S rules. The EFL is aware that LCFC has disputed the EFL’s entitlement to impose this constraint, which is both restrictive and premature, with more than a quarter of the Club’s 2023/24 reporting period remaining."

Acknowledgment of the statement was posted on the Football League's social media channels, with a brief message from an EFL spokesperson saying: “The EFL notes today’s statement by Leicester City, issued shortly after the Club’s registration embargo under Profitability and Sustainability Rule 2.10.1 was made public in accordance with EFL Regulations. The League will not be making any comment on the proceedings issued by the Club.”