Manchester City, the dominant force in English football for over a decade, finds itself once again under the Premier League's microscope. This time, however, the allegations are not about intricate financial dealings or sponsorship controversies, but something seemingly more mundane: breaches of kick-off timing regulations. Recent reports confirm that City has been hit with a substantial fine of £1.08 million for delaying kick-offs and re-starts on nine separate occasions during the 2024/25 season. While a million-pound fine might seem like a drop in the ocean for a club of City's financial might, these sanctions underscore a deeper tension within the Premier League – a battle between sporting integrity, commercial interests, and the relentless demands of a global broadcasting behemoth. This isn't merely a trivial matter of punctuality. It speaks to the meticulous choreography of modern football, where every second is accounted for, and every deviation from the schedule has...
On Sunday, Real Madrid will play its first Madrid derby of the season at the Metropolitano. They will be without Kylian Mbappe for the matchup because he will be out for the next three weeks due to a thigh injury he acquired in the midweek triumph against Alaves.
Mbappe, who had expressed a desire to be present in person, will instead watch the game from home, according to L'Equipe. Real Madrid, however, has advised him to avoid the area due to potential security lapses, which would not ensure his safety at the Metropolitano.In recent years, there have been incidents between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid fans, and the former always creates a heated environment when their hated rivals visit town. Los Blancos officials do not want to risk any issues with Mbappe, thus they have declined his request to attend the match with his teammates.
It would be intriguing to see how Real Madrid performs without Mbappe, especially because Carlo Ancelotti is likely to return to the method he used last season.
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