Man City are fined over £2m for breaking Premier League rule 22 times – as the division release statement confirming its champions accept breach of little-known regulation
- City reached a sanctions agreement with the league over 22 separate incidents
- In the title-winning match against West Ham, the game was delayed by almost three minutes
- The fines range from £10,000 to £200,000 and the city accepted the decision
Manchester City have been fined more than £2 million by the Premier League for delaying the kick-off of matches.
The champions reached a settlement with the league on sanctions in 22 separate charges, all of which relate to the past two seasons.
City are said to have delayed kick-off of their final game of last season, a win over West Ham, by two minutes and 46 seconds into the second half on the day they clinched their fourth successive title.
Fines range from £10,000 to £200,000, the lowest for a first offence and the highest as a result of the match against West Ham.
18 of the incidents involved restarts after half-time, with the restart and kick-off being delayed in one match – against Newcastle United last August.
Manchester City have been fined more than £2 million by the Premier League for delaying the kick-off of matches
City accepted the Premier League’s decision, which was ratified by an independent three-person panel.
“The breaches relate to a number of Premier League matches in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons,” a Premier League statement said.
‘Rules regarding kick-off and restart ensure that the competition is organised at the highest possible professional level and provide certainty to fans and participating clubs.
‘It also ensures that the broadcast of all 380 competition matches worldwide proceeds according to schedule.’
The city’s hearing on 115 charges of alleged financial violations, a much more serious matter, is expected to take place in the coming months.
The city declined to comment.