Manchester City fined £1 million for multiple Premier League rule breaches

Manchester City has been fined approximately £1 million after admitting to breaching Premier League regulations on nine occasions during the 2024-25 season. The club, currently participating in the Club World Cup in the US, faced a challenging domestic campaign, finishing third in the league and ending their streak of four consecutive titles.

The breaches involved violations of Rule L.33, which mandates that teams must start or restart matches punctually. City failed to adhere to this responsibility in several games, including their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium last December. The Premier League confirmed that City has accepted responsibility and apologized, emphasizing the importance of punctuality for match organization and broadcast scheduling.

For each violation, the club received escalating fines—initially £40,000 and ultimately reaching £190,000 for the ninth offense. Their total penalty for these breaches amounts to around £800,000. The Premier League highlighted that such rules ensure a high professional standard and timely scheduling of matches.

Additional sanctions and ongoing investigations

This incident is not City’s first infringement; last season, they were fined over £2 million for repeatedly starting matches late or resuming play after halftime without good reason, with 22 violations registered. City has also denied any wrongdoing in these cases.

Separately, the club is facing 130 charges related to alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules between 2009 and 2018, including failure to provide accurate financial details on contracts and cooperation with investigations. The outcome of these cases remains pending.

Current campaign and future prospects

Despite off-field issues, City began their Club World Cup journey with a 2-0 win over Wydad in the US. They are set to face matches against Al-Ain and Juventus, with the final scheduled for July 13.