‘Are you playing in the SON 2nd division?’ Tottenham points cut + possibility of relegation... illegal activity investigation begins

Son Heung-min/Getty Images Korea

Tottenham emblem/Getty Images Korea

[마이데일리 = 이현호 기자] Son Heung-min’s (31) team, Tottenham, may fall to the second division (championship).

The English Football Association (FA) has begun investigating Tottenham. British media ‘The Times’ recently reported, “The FA is reexamining Tottenham’s process of recruiting former players. “We are looking again at evidence that Tottenham violated agent regulations in the process of transferring Jermain Defoe to Portsmouth in 2008.”

In January 2008, Tottenham sold Defoe from Portsmouth for £7.5 million. I thought it was a transfer without any problems, but 15 years later, in 2023, a problem was raised. At this time, suspicions arose that the agent involved in the Depot transfer was unlicensed.

‘The Times’ said, “Mitchell Thomas, the agent who led the Defoe transfer, was not qualified to be an agent. Nevertheless, Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy met Thomas with then-manager Harry Redknapp and negotiated a transfer,” he explained.

Depo/Getty Images Korea

According to FA regulations, agents involved in player transfers must have a license issued by the relevant football association. If this is violated, the club in question will be subject to a point deduction or severe disciplinary action such as being discharged from the board of directors and banned from recruiting. In serious cases, relegation to the second division is possible.

A disciplinary storm is blowing in the English Premier League (EPL). Another EPL team, Everton, was recently punished with a 10-point deduction. On the 17th, the EPL secretariat officially announced, “Everton was penalized with a 10-point deduction for violating the EPL’s profitability and sustainability regulations.”

Everton, who had accumulated 14 points through the 12th round and was in 14th place, suddenly lost 4 points and fell to 19th place. The team was in danger of being relegated to the second division for the first time in 73 years. Although it did not cause a more serious problem than Everton, it is expected that Tottenham will also receive disciplinary action. The level of discipline is important.

Everton’s home stadium, Goodison Park/Getty Images Korea

Tottenham is on a remarkable upward trend this 2023-24 season. In the opening 10 games of the EPL, they had 8 wins, 2 draws, and no losses. The momentum was scary enough to take first place alone. It seemed like they were on pace to win before losing 1-4 to Chelsea in the 11th round.

However, they lost against Chelsea and lost 1-2 in the next game away to Wolverhampton. After going undefeated in 10 games, they lost two in a row. Here, there were even injured people one after another. James Maddison, Mickey van der Ven, Richarlison, Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon are out due to injury. Christian Romero was sent off.

The run to first place stopped for a moment. Tottenham’s current ranking is 4th. After the international break, they will face Aston Villa, Manchester City, West Ham, Newcastle, and Nottingham in order. Afterwards, we have a busy Boxing Day schedule. You have to walk through a thorny path and worry about disciplinary action.