A lack of consistency in how rule breaches are punished could undermine the integrity of English football, a leading sports lawyer has warned.
Chelsea escaped a points deduction this week after admitting to breaching Premier League rules in relation to some £47.5 million ($63.3 million) of undisclosed payments made under former owner Roman Abramovich.
Everton, Leicester and Nottingham Forest were all previously subjected to points penalties for breaches of the league's financial rules.
But Chelsea were fined £10.75 million and given a suspended one-year transfer ban as part of a sanction agreement with the Premier League.
The Premier League said the punishments imposed were a reflection of the fact Chelsea's new owners, a consortium led by US businessman Todd Boehly, had self-reported the information that led to an investigation and had demonstrated "exceptional co-operation" throughout.
Nick De Marco KC, a lawyer who represented Leicester and Forest in their cases, did not comment directly on Chelsea's situation but said late Tuesday it was vital football authorities adopted a consistent approach to maintain confidence in the regulatory system.
He wrote on X, "When it is argued, in various football disputes, that points deductions must be imposed even for inadvertent breaches, in order to vindicate compliant clubs, one has to wonder whether that reflects a genuine commitment to consistent strict enforcement in all cases, or is simply a position adopted for the purposes of a particular case.
"Consistency is very important in sport – the lack of it can undermine public confidence in the integrity of the whole game.
"I do not comment on any one individual case, I just hope that those involved in the decision-making processes can see the merit in treating each case according to its particular circumstances rather than being inflexible in some, but very flexible in others."
The Premier League found that between 2011 and 2018 undisclosed payment totalling just over £47.5 million were made by third parties associated with Abramovich to players, unregistered agents and individuals connected to clubs, helping to facilitate transfers for players including Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o and Willian.
However, the league determined that even if the payments had been properly included in historical financial submissions, the London club would not have been in breach of its profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
According to the Daily Mail, rival clubs have contacted the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Masters, demanding an explanation for the Chelsea decision.
The issue could be raised when clubs gather for one of their regular league shareholders' meetings in London on Thursday.