Manchester City have been fined around £1 million for repeatedly breaking a Premier League rule about starting games on time.

Pep Guardiola’s team admitted to breaking the rule and reached an agreement with the Premier League regarding the fine.

According to Rule L.33, all Premier League teams must begin matches and restart the second half on time. If they don’t, they are fined.

The fine amount increases each time a team breaks this rule. City were fined £40,000 for their first offence, and by the ninth time, they had to pay £190,000.

In a statement, the Premier League said both sides agreed on the penalty after City admitted to nine delays during the 2024/25 season.

The rule is meant to keep the league organized, professional, and on schedule for fans and broadcasters.

One of the games where City broke the rule was during their 2-1 home loss to Manchester United last December.

City apologized for the delays and reminded players and staff to follow the timing rules more strictly.

This is not the first time Manchester City has been punished for being late. In the previous season, they were fined over £2 million for similar delays.

City broke the timing rules 22 times in the 2023/24 season without any valid excuse, according to the Premier League.

In addition to this issue, City still faces 130 serious charges for allegedly breaking Financial Fair Play rules between 2009 and 2018.

These include not giving full information about contracts and finances, and not fully cooperating with the Premier League’s investigation.

City strongly deny these allegations. If found guilty, they could face severe penalties, including relegation, fines, or points deductions.