Birmingham City slapped with suspended two point penalty
Blues have been hit with a suspended two-point penalty following last year’s failed takeover by Maxi Lopez and Paul Richardson.
The sanction, which will remain in place until the end of next season, comes after the club admitted breaching the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ test by allowing Lopez, Richardson and their associate Matt Southall to take control without the league’s approval.
All three men were sanctioned last month after admitting their own individual breaches of the rules.
Blues chairman Vong Pech has now been issued with a warning and a reprimand after accepting his part in the breach. He is also liable for the costs of the league’s investigation, thought to be around £45,000.
Former AC Milan and Barcelona striker Lopez and businessman Richardson were regular attendees at St Andrew’s after opening talks over buying a 21 per cent stake last summer, before the deal collapsed in December.
Though serious, the latest sanction should draw a line under another unseemly episode in the club’s recent history.
Instead, the arrival of American financier Tom Wagner now offers hope of a brighter future.
Wagner last week agreed to purchase an initial 45.65 per cent stake in the club from its parent company, BSHL Holdings
