Vincent Kompany says keeping Burnley in the Premier League is his only priority as the Clarets weigh up the prospect of pursuing compensation from Everton following their 10-point deduction.
Having been found to have breached the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules during a four-year period ending with the 2021-22 season, Everton were docked 10 points by an independent commission.
That penalty – which the club plans to appeal – dropped Everton from 14th in the table with 14 points to 19th with four, only above bottom club Burnley by virtue of their superior goal difference.
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The punishment also opened Everton up to the prospect of legal action from clubs who deemed themselves to be affected by the Toffees’ £19.5million overspend across the stated period. Burnley, Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton have all been relegated in the last two seasons while Everton narrowly stayed up.
Those clubs, along with Nottingham Forest, all have “potential claims” against Everton, according to the commission, and they have 28 days from Friday’s judgement to lodge their cases.
Burnley were relegated from the Premier League with 35 points at the end of the 2021-22 season, four points fewer than 16th-placed Everton accrued.
As well as being among the clubs potentially entitled to compensation, Burnley could be one of the chief on-pitch beneficiaries of Everton’s deduction, with the Toffees being dragged back into the relegation battle.
However, speaking at a press conference to preview Saturday’s game against West Ham, Kompany was only focusing on his own team.
“There’s discussions at Premier League-level and board-level, but for it’s not been on my mind for one second,” he said. “I don’t think it is for me to make a judgement on this.
“I need to focus on the team and getting rewards and turning performances into results. I’m not going to pretend I’m not aware, but it’s none of my concern. It’s not my job and it’s not my task.
Our Director of Football, Kevin Thelwell, has written to Evertonians on the recent ‘wholly disproportionate and unjust ruling’.
— Everton (@Everton) November 22, 2023
“My task is way too important for me to get distracted by this, we are talking politics here and board-level discussions.
“My absolute priority is on just keeping this team in this league, showing everyone we can belong here, we can be a good team in this league.
“None of my attention towards that case will actually help with what we need to achieve.”
Burnley have endured a difficult time of things since returning to the top flight, only beating fellow promoted outfit Luton Town all season and losing five games in a row before the international break.
The Clarets are also currently without striker Lyle Foster, who is in the care of specialists after the recurrence of a mental health issue, and Kompany is unable to put a timeframe on his recovery.
“There’s very little I can communicate other than we’re convinced he’s getting the best care possible,” Kompany said.
“We are fully ready as and when, we can’t put a timeframe on it, we just have to embrace him again with us and make sure he has the platform to play his best again.
“At the moment the focus is just on him getting better.”
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— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) November 22, 2023
