Manchester City has been fined over £1 million ($1.3m) by the Premier League for violating rules about delayed kickoffs and restarts nine times during the previous season, as announced by England’s top league on Thursday.
This fine comes a year after the club paid £2 million ($2.56m) for similar violations.
The club acknowledged their mistakes and apologized, stating they have reminded their players and staff about their responsibilities to follow the rules.
According to a league statement, “Rules regarding kick-offs and re-starts help maintain high professional standards for organizing the competition and provide certainty for fans and clubs involved. It also ensures that every Premier League match stays on schedule.”
The fines totaling £1.08 million were related to Manchester City’s home games against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, West Ham United, and Newcastle United, as well as away matches against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Ipswich Town. The longest delays were two minutes and 22 seconds each during restarts against West Ham and Ipswich.
Additionally, City is waiting for the outcome of 115 separate charges regarding alleged violations of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. These charges date back to 2009 and extend into the 2022-23 season. City has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
