- Championship club facing potential deduction of 21 points
- Rooney says he and his players not informed by club hierarchy
Wayne Rooney has said he and his Derby County players only discovered the Championship club were set to enter administration after watching the news break on television, as they face up to a potential 21-point penalty. They will be automatically issued with a 12-point deduction on formally appointing administrators, which they are expected to do in the coming days, and stand to be deducted a further nine points, plus a suspended three-point deduction, for a separate breach of the English Football League’s financial regulations.
Rooney said he was not informed by the Derby hierarchy that the club, which has been plagued by off-field issues and financial chaos in recent seasons, had made the “tough decision” to file for administration but has since spoken with the chief executive, Stephen Pearce. “I initially saw it on the TV,” Rooney said before Derby’s 2-1 home win against Stoke City. “I haven’t spoken with [owner] Mel [Morris]. I am sure he has got other things on his mind. The players had no information and they saw it on Sky as well.”