Why are Derby in such financial trouble?
Had Derby beaten Aston Villa in the 2019 Championship play-off final, the outlook would surely be different. Mel Morris, a local businessman, bet the ranch and lost in his attempt to return Derby to the Premier League for the first time since 2008. They have spent 125 days in administration and are in a race against time to secure a preferred bidder who can fund the club until the end of the season and complete a takeover. The English Football League’s findings over the former chairman’s valuations of players led to a total 21-point deduction this season. “I’m most unhappy with Mel Morris – he is why we’re in this situation,” the manager, Wayne Rooney, said on Friday.
