Manchester City has been fined over £1 million by the Premier League for repeatedly delaying kick-offs and restarts throughout the past season.
The club accepted the £1.08 million penalty for nine instances of late starts or restarts, including a significant two-minute and 24-second delay during the Manchester derby in December 2024.
This isn’t City’s first offense; they were fined £2.09 million last season for similar issues. Manager Pep Guardiola had previously vowed to shorten his team talks to prevent such delays.
The Premier League emphasized that adherence to schedules is crucial for competition standards and broadcasting.
While acknowledging the past season was challenging for City, leading to extended team preparations, the club did reduce delays by 59% compared to the previous year.
The latest fine comes as Manchester City also awaits a verdict on 115 charges of alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018, which the club strongly denies.
