Premier League fine Manchester City for 22 delayed kick-offs and restarts over two seasons, champions apologise
Updated 31/07/2024 at 17:29 GMT+1
The Premier League have released a statement confirming a sanction agreement with Manchester City, who had a delayed start to either the first or second half in 22 fixtures over the last two seasons. The Citizens lifted the title in both of those campaigns. The club has accepted and apologised for the infringements, with a payment due within 14 days of the sanction agreement being published.
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Manchester City and the Premier League have reached a sanction agreement, after the club admitted they had broken kick-off and restart rules.
The reigning Premier League champions have been fined £2.09m in total, with the breaches coming across the last two seasons, with City lifting the title in both of those.
The Premier League said in a statement: "The Premier League and Manchester City FC have entered into a sanction agreement after the club accepted it had breached Premier League Rule L.33 relating to kick-off and re-start obligations.
"Rules relating to kick-offs and re-starts help ensure the organisation of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs.
"It also ensures the broadcast of all 380 League matches around the world is kept to schedule."
The first infringement - delaying the restart by 1 minute and 18 seconds in their home match against Crystal Palace on August 27, 2022 - garnered a warning from the Premier League, with the following breaches subject to fines of increasing magnitudes.
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Individual fines range from £10,000 on the occasion of their second breach to £200,000 for their latest breach, delaying the kick-off against West Ham United on May 19 of this year.
In terms of the longest delay to a single match, City were found to postpone the kick-off and restart of their home game against Newcastle United on August 19, 2023 by a combined 3 minutes 51 seconds.
City, for their part, released an apologetic statement via the agreement: "The Club has apologised for the accepted breaches set out in paragraph 3, above, and confirmed that it has reminded the Club’s players and football management teams of their responsibilities in complying with Rule L.33."
The sanction agreement sets out the breaches in full, with the Premier League Board agreeing that: "From the start of Season 2022/23 to the date of this Sanction Agreement, the Club accepts causing a delay to the kick-off of a League Match and/or the re-start after the half-time interval of a League Match without good reason (contrary to Rule L.33) on 22 occasions."
The rule in question - Rule L.33 - is set out as follows: "Any Club which without good reason causes to be delayed either the kick-off of a League Match from the time fixed or the restart after the half-time interval shall be dealt with under the provisions of Section W (Disciplinary) of these Rules."
The news comes after Manchester City were beaten 4-1 on penalties by Barcelona following a 2-2 pre-season friendly draw in Florida.
Nico O'Reilly and Jack Grealish were on the scoresheet as Pep Guardiola was seen punching his dugout in frustration near the end of the first-half.
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