Reading Football Club have been plunged into a Championship relegation battle after being deducted six points for financial breaches.
The Royals, who are currently in the bottom three of the Championship, were found guilty of breaching the English Football League’s (EFL) Profitability and Sustainability rules.
The club have been hit with a six-point deduction, which has seen them drop to 22nd in the table, just one point above the relegation zone.
The EFL said in a statement that Reading had “breached the Profitability and Sustainability rules by recording losses in excess of the permitted amounts for the three-year period ending with the 2018/19 season”.
The club have been given a transfer embargo until the end of the season, meaning they will not be able to sign any new players in the January transfer window.
Reading have also been fined £1 million, with the club’s owners, Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li, being handed a further £1 million fine.
The club have said they will appeal the decision, but the points deduction has put them in a precarious position in the Championship.
Reading are now just one point above the relegation zone, and they face a tough battle to stay in the division.
The Royals have been in the Championship since 2012, and they have been in the top half of the table for the past three seasons.
However, the points deduction has put them in a difficult position, and they will need to fight hard to stay in the division.
Reading have a number of experienced players in their squad, including former Premier League stars such as John Swift, Chris Gunter and Garath McCleary.
The club also have a number of promising young players, such as Danny Loader, Omar Richards and Andy Rinomhota.
Reading will need to use all of their experience and talent if they are to survive in the Championship this season.
The Royals have a number of tough fixtures coming up, including games against promotion-chasing Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest.
Reading will need to be at their best if they are to survive in the Championship this season, and the points deduction has made their task even more difficult.