Manchester City have been fined £1.08 million by the Premier League for repeated delays in kick-offs and restarts during the 2024/25 season.
The league confirmed that nine of City’s matches began or resumed late, including a notable two-minute-and-24-second delay to the second half of the Manchester derby in December 2024.
The Premier League said City accepted responsibility for the breaches and formally apologised. The club now has 14 days to pay the fines.
The governing body emphasized the importance of timing in a tightly scheduled broadcast calendar, stating:
“Rules relating to kick-offs and restarts help ensure the organisation of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs.”
This is not the first time the reigning champions have been sanctioned for such infractions. In the 2023/24 season, City were fined £2.09 million after causing delays in 22 matches.
At the time, manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged the issue, pledging to shorten his team talks and ensure more punctual restarts. However, despite efforts to improve, the Premier League has reaffirmed its strict stance—highlighting that billions invested in broadcast rights rely on schedule integrity.
According to BBC Sport’s Shamoon Hafez, City did improve significantly, recording a 59% reduction in match delays this past season.
However, scrutiny remains, with observers noting that delays occurred even during matches in which City led at halftime and made no substitutions.
Compounding City’s regulatory challenges, the club is still awaiting a verdict on 115 charges of alleged financial rule breaches brought forward in February 2023, following a four-year investigation. The charges span financial activities between 2009 and 2018.
City maintain their innocence, insisting they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to clear their name.
