Manchester City Hit With Million-Dollar Fine for Delays
The Premier League champions will pay a fine of nearly $3 million due to the game delays they cause during their home matches.
Manchester City continues to be a hot topic in football, as they often push the boundaries and sometimes even exceed the rules of the game. As a result, Pep Guardiola's team will be held accountable and must pay a hefty fine for the delays caused by their players and coaching staff during home games at the Etihad.
City has been investigated by the Premier League for breaching Financial Fair Play over a hundred times. Similarly, the English league has decided to fine the champion team after they violated one of the most important Premier League rules 22 times in the last two seasons.
The rule in question stipulates that league matches must start at the time set in the official schedule, something that hasn’t been adhered to in City’s games. For instance, in their last match where they were crowned champions against West Ham, the team took to the field for the second half two minutes and 46 seconds late.
Pep's team will have to pay a $2.5 million fine for these delays, which, when adding up the 22 instances, amount to 39 minutes and 52 seconds of lost time. The Citizens have accepted their responsibility and will pay the stipulated amount.