Nottingham Forest may have just made another unpopular decision behind the scenes, and this one could come back to haunt the club.
The Reds are facing profitability and sustainability allegations, and Forest might receive their sentence this week.
Forest have now shown their hand after Premier League teams were asked to vote again, this time on a settlement with the EFL.
Nottingham Forest voted against the new EFL settlement.
The Daily Mail broke the news, and they have provided the list of ten clubs that have rejected the new EFL deal.
It’s perhaps no surprise that Forest is one of the clubs that refuses to adhere to the terms of this new deal.
Furthermore, the ten parties that have rejected the plan have stated that they will explore legal action if a government regulator forces them to pay.
Forest may be ready to shoot itself in the foot with this one, though.
In our opinion, the disparity in football salaries between the Premier League and the EFL is outrageous, and something must give.
Insiders have said that the idea of a company being forced to pay a rival in the same industry, with the money subsequently used by the rival to try to seize their place in the Premier League, is unfit for purpose.
Although this makes logic, everyone understands that football is not like any other company.
The proposed figures would give EFL teams £836 million over five years, on top of the current £110 million in solidarity payments and development support.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already warned that if a deal is not reached, the government will intervene.
Forest could regret this decision.
On the one hand, Forest’s refusal to accede to a proposal made by Premier League chief Richard Masters is a positive thing.
The man who referred to Forest and Everton as’small clubs’ is unlikely to earn Evangelos Marinakis’ snot.
Having said that, this one feels a touch controversial, and Forest needs to be cautious.
The concern for Forest is that they may not be able to stay in the Premier League after this season.
With the exception of Crystal Palace, the other nine clubs are almost guaranteed another season in the Premier League.
Forest could soon return to the EFL, and the club may wish they had been more accommodating to this concept.
In an ideal world, if Forest were to lose, they would immediately recover, as Leicester and Leeds have attempted this season.
However, there is no assurance of this, and the last time the Reds left the Premier League, they waited 23 years to return.
Only time will tell how costly this decision is, and the hope is that it does not backfire spectacularly on Forest.
