Man City Premier League Charges: Which Rules Were Broken and What Punishment Citizens Faced?

The Premier League has levied a fine of more than £1 million on Manchester City for continuously postponing kick-off times "without legitimate reason" during the 2024–25 season. Man City have officially admitted to nine breaches of league regulations concerning kickoffs and second-half restarts. The Premier League confirmed on Thursday that the club has been fined a total of £1.08 million ($1.45 million) for these infractions. The most significant individual penalty—£210,000—was issued for a delay of 2 minutes and 22 seconds at the start of the second half during a match against Ipswich Town on January 19, 2025.

These fines come as Manchester City remains under scrutiny in a separate, far more serious investigation involving 115 alleged Financial Fair Play charges—an inquiry that has cast a long shadow over the club since February 2023. As the football world awaits a verdict on those charges, this latest disciplinary action adds another layer of controversy to Pep Guardiola and his men's recent record.

Which Rules Manchester City Have Breached?

According to Premier League Regulation L. 33, “Any Club which without good reason causes to be delayed either the kick-off of a League Match from the time fixed or the re-start after the half-time interval shall be dealt with under the provisions of Section W (Disciplinary) of these Rules.” Between October 2024 and February 2025, the breaches took place over nine games, with Manchester City found guilty in both home and away matches.

The specific violations were delays ranging from 1 minute and 18 seconds to 2 minutes and 24 seconds. The following were the most striking events:

• The longest of all breaches, a 2-minute, 24-second delay before the second half of the Manchester derby against United at Old Trafford in December 2024.
• A 2-minute and 22-second delay on the restart against Ipswich Town on January 19, 2025.
• On January 4, 2025, a 2-minute and 22-second delay during the restart against West Ham United.

The Premier League said, "Rules relating to kick-offs and re-starts help ensure the organization of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs". The league further noted that these rules "also ensure the broadcast of every Premier League match is kept to schedule".

Even before the 2024-25 season, Manchester City were penalized for related violations. For 22 breaches of the same regulation over the last two seasons, the club was fined £2. 09 million last year. The continual nature of these offenses points to a pattern the Premier League intends to fix.

Premier League Charges Against Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's Team Slapped With £1M Fine

Charges have been accepted by Manchester City, which has also apologized for the events. The club said they have "reminded the Club's players and football management teams of their obligations in adhering to Rule L. 33". The Premier League has said that City has 14 days to make the payment from the date of the sanctions agreement. The fines cover home and away match delays, including ones against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, West Ham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Ipswich Town.

Ranging from £40,000 to £190,000 per breach, the penalties grew with each transgression; most prominently, there was a breach during the Manchester derby in December. Though this penalty is considerable, it is dwarfed by the possible repercussions of the ongoing investigation into the 115 allegations of financial fair play breaches City is under.

These charges span 2009 to 2018, and the club has persistently denied any malfeasance. Almost three months of legal arguments at London's International Dispute Resolution Centre resulted in December 2024 finally ending the hearing for these accusations.

Originally expected to be released in early spring 2025, the ruling on these financial allegations is now probably not expected before summer, maybe extending beyond the beginning of the Premier League season on August 16. If found guilty, Man City may be subject to severe consequences, including points deductions, transfer prohibitions, title stripping, or even a Premier League ban. While City, presently competing in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, confronts this most recent fine, the football community still awaits the result of what has been termed football's "trial of the century".