Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has openly admitted that his tendency for lengthy team talks has resulted in the club being hit with substantial financial penalties from the Premier League, totalling more than £3 million.
A Costly Habit of Late Restarts
The Premier League fined Manchester City over £1 million last season after kick-offs and restarts were repeatedly delayed. An investigation revealed that nine of the club's matches in the most recent campaign started or resumed later than scheduled.
The most significant holdup occurred during the dramatic Manchester derby in December 2024. The match's second half began a substantial two minutes and 24 seconds late. City had been leading 1-0 at half-time but ultimately lost the game 2-1 after a stunning late comeback from rivals Manchester United.
Escalating Fines and Previous Breaches
This was not an isolated incident. The previous season saw an even larger financial penalty, with the club being fined £2.09 million for a total of 22 breaches of the league's timing rules. These infractions were linked to delays in 14 separate Premier League matches across the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
The Premier League operates a system where fines escalate with each subsequent breach. Initial warnings are followed by penalties ranging from £10,000 to £200,000 per individual offence. The maximum £200,000 fine was imposed after the club's 14th breach, which occurred before their crucial final-day match against West Ham in May 2024. That kick-off was delayed by 2 minutes and 46 seconds.
Guardiola's Admission and Proactive Measures
Guardiola addressed the issue during a press conference, acknowledging the club has been fined 'a lot' of money due to his overrunning team talks. The topic came to the fore when he was forced to reschedule his own media briefing to 9am after a club warning.
He explained that a planned training session conflicted with the original 1:30pm press conference time. 'We are training later and if we train at 12 until 1.30, I cannot be here in time,' Guardiola stated. 'The club said if I don't start by 2pm they will fine me or fine the club.'
In a light-hearted remark, the City boss compared the situation to the Champions League final, quipping, 'When we played in the Champions League final they had a show before the game and they are always late, they have to fine the singers.'
He concluded by affirming his respect for the regulations, despite his occasional tardiness, stating, 'Sometimes I arrive one minute later but the rules are the rules. The Premier League is impeccable for that.' The club had previously apologised for the breaches and committed to reminding staff and players of their responsibilities regarding the league's strict broadcast schedules.
