As the top flight release statement confirming its champions accept breach of little-known regulation.
Manchester City has been fined almost £2 million by the Premier League for postponing game kickoffs.
The league and the winners came to a punishment agreement about 22 distinct charges that were all connected to the previous two seasons. On the day they won a fourth straight title, City’s final game of the season, a victory over West Ham, was found to have started the second half two minutes and 46 seconds later than planned.
The sanctions are set between £10,000 and £200,000, with the lowest amount applied to the first offense and the highest amount arising from the West Ham match. Eighteen of the occurrences concern restarts following the interval, with one match—against Newcastle United last August—involving delays in that regard.
GAMES LEADING TO FINES
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
A three-person independent tribunal affirmed the Premier League’s decision, which City accepted.
‘The breaches relate to a number of Premier League matches during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons,’ a Premier League statement said.
‘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.’
In a total of 23 late kickoffs over 22 games over the previous two seasons, Pep Guardiola’s team was found to have delayed restarts by 39 minutes and 52 seconds.
The match that clinched their championship was the longest; the second half of that match was postponed. It was played against West Ham. Two minutes and 33 seconds was the kickoff delay against Everton in December 2022, and two minutes and 34 seconds was the start delay in the home game against Newcastle in August 2023.
These were the only two instances of significant delays. There were 23 delays over 22 instances in that game, including a one-minute and 17-second delay in the second half.