Chelsea could risk taking a points deduction if they are to sneak into the European qualification spots before the end of the season, with one key factor dictating the club's decision making.
Mauricio Pochettino has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks, with the 2-2 away draw at Brentford on Saturday seeing fans chanting for former boss Jose Mourinho while also goading their own manager as well.
That result leaves Chelsea 11th in the Premier League and no closer to making progress under the Argentine. But if the hierarchy are to make a key decision on Pochettino's future in the coming days or weeks, they could risk a points deduction.
Football finance expert Dr. Dan Plumley highlights that even though Chelsea might want to part ways with Pochettino after just nine months, finances dictate whether or not that's a possibility.
Indeed, the Argentine still has another 16 months remaining on his Stamford Bridge contract, meaning Chelsea would have to award him a substantial pay-off if they were to sack him - reportedly upwards of £10m. With the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules (PSRs) now a very apparent consideration of all clubs, the Blues might have to stick with Pochettino for a little while longer.
"If you have to pay a manager out of a contract, it's no different from letting a player go and whether you win or lose on the way you've structured the contract through amortisation," Dr. Plumley told Grosvenor Sport.
“If you've got to pay a manager off, that impacts the overall profit or loss of the business. So, it will calculate towards PSRs, which is why clubs are obviously mindful of it. Looking at how that might look in the future, UEFA's new version of the financial stability regulations includes managers in the squad cost, which has not been included in what is currently PSRs in the Premier League or UEFA's old version.
“If the Premier League looked to pivot towards UEFA, then we are going to have to start talking about that more because it’s already in UEFA’s framework. I think that there's two things on that. One is yes, it's a factor. And two, is what does that look like moving forward if the Premier League changes their version of PSRs to align with UEFA's framework?"
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