The English champions Manchester City have come to an agreement with the league regarding 22 separate charges, all related to the previous two seasons. City were found guilty of delaying the start of the second half in their final game of the previous season, a win against West Ham, by two minutes and 46 seconds on the day they secured their fourth consecutive title.
The penalties range from £10,000 to £200,000, with the lowest being for the first offence and the highest being for the West Ham match. 18 of the incidents involve delays in restarting after the break, with one match, against Newcastle United in August last year, also having a delayed kick off.
These are the games that Man City was fined about: Man City vs Crystal Palace, 08/22 Man City vs Brighton, 10/22 Leeds vs Man City, 12/22 Man City vs Everton, 12/22 Man City vs Leicester, 04/23 Everton vs Man City, 05/23 Man City vs Chelsea, 05/23 Brighton vs Man City, 05/23 Burnley vs Man City, 08/23 Man City vs Newcastle, 08/23 (x2) Man City vs Brighton, 10/23 Aston Villa vs Man City, 12/23 Man City vs Crystal Palace, 12/23 Newcastle vs Man City, 01/24 Man City vs Chelsea, 02/24 Man City vs Aston Villa, 04/24 Crystal Palace vs Man City, 04/24 Brighton vs Man City, 04/24 Nottingham Forest vs Man City, 04/24 Tottenham vs Man City, 05/24 Man City vs West Ham, 05/24.
City have accepted the Premier League’s decision, which has been approved by a three-person independent panel. ‘The violations pertain to a number of Premier League matches during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons,’ stated the Premier League. ‘Rules concerning kick-offs and restarts are in place to ensure that the competition is organised to the highest professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs. ‘It also guarantees that all 380 League matches are broadcasted on schedule worldwide.’
Pep Guardiola’s team were found to have delayed restarts by a total of 39 minutes and 52 seconds in 23 late kick-offs across 22 games in the past two seasons. The longest delay was in the game against West Ham that secured their title win, with the start of the second half being delayed. Other significant delays include the kick off against Everton in December 2022 being delayed by two minutes and 33 seconds, and the home game against Newcastle in August 2023 starting two minutes and 34 seconds late. That game also had a one minute and 17 second delay in the second half, resulting in 23 delays over 22 occasions.
The agreement confirms that ‘the club has apologised for the breaches outlined in paragraph 3 above and has reminded the Club’s players and football management teams of their responsibilities in complying with Rule L.33.’ Payment must be made within 14 days of the execution of this Sanction Agreement. Crystal Palace were also fined for similar violations last season, with the Eagles being charged for two breaches in 2022.
City’s hearing for 115 charges of alleged financial violations, a much more serious case, is expected to take place in the coming months.
