- City has reached a sanction agreement with the league regarding 22 individual incidents.
- In the title-clinching match against West Ham, the game was delayed by nearly three minutes.
- The fines vary from £10,000 to £200,000, and City has agreed to the decision.
Manchester City has incurred fines exceeding £2 million from the Premier League for late kick-offs during matches.
The champions consensually reached an agreement with the league concerning 22 different charges, all related to the last two seasons.
It was determined that City delayed the onset of the second half in their final game last season, a win over West Ham, by two minutes and 46 seconds on the day they secured their fourth consecutive championship.
Fines have been set between £10,000 and £200,000 — with the smallest penalty for the first infraction and the most significant for the West Ham encounter.
Eighteen incidents involved restarts after breaks, including a single match against Newcastle United in August where there was a delay.
Manchester City has been fined more than £2 million by the Premier League for delaying kick-offs during matches.
In their title-winning match against West Ham last season, the second half’s start was delayed by two minutes and 46 seconds.
Pep Guardiola’s team was found to have caused delays of 39 minutes and 52 seconds in total through 23 late kick-offs across 22 games.
City has acknowledged the Premier League’s penalties, which were confirmed by a three-person independent panel.
‘The violations involve multiple Premier League matches from the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons,’ a statement from the Premier League indicated.
‘Regulations governing kick-offs and restarts are in place to maintain exemplary organization of the competition and provide predictability for both fans and participating clubs.’
‘This also ensures the timely broadcasting of all 380 League matches globally.’
Pep Guardiola’s squad was found to have delayed game restarts by a total of 39 minutes and 52 seconds in 23 late starts across 22 matches in the previous two seasons.
The longest delay occurred during the contest against West Ham that confirmed their championship victory, where the second half commenced late.
Other significant delays included a two-minute and 33-second postponement for the kick-off against Everton in December 2022, and a start that was two minutes and 34 seconds late during their home match with Newcastle in August 2023.
This match also experienced a one-minute and 17-second delay in the second half, resulting in delays occurring 23 times in 22 matches.
The agreement confirmed that ‘the club has expressed remorse for the accepted infractions as delineated in paragraph 3 and reiterated to the players and coaching staff the importance of compliance with Rule L.33.’
Payments are required to be completed within 14 days following the sanction agreement.
Crystal Palace faced fines for similar issues last season, being charged for two violations in 2022.
Manchester City’s hearing concerning 115 charges related to financial breaches, a considerably more serious matter, is anticipated to be conducted in the upcoming months.
City opted not to comment on the matter.
