London, March 22: Birmingham City have been deducted nine points rules for breaching rules on profitability and sustainability, the English Football League (EFL) has announced.
The punishment means Birmingham, who have lost their last four league games, drop from 13th in the Championship table to 18th, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Former manager Harry Redknapp spent heavily before steering the club away from relegation to League One in the 2016-17 season, but has denied responsibility for the points deduction.
"It's surely down to the people who run the club, like the chief executive and the chairman, or whoever, to know if we've got any money to spend," Redknapp told The Daily Telegraph ahead of the EFL announcement.
"I didn't know anything about Financial Fair Play. I was never warned by anyone at the football club that there was going to be a problem with that."