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...
Pep Guardiola admits that his performance as Manchester City manager has been "really poor" this season.
City have had one of their worst seasons in a decade and are still battling to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Despite their well-documented injury woes, City's manager believes he and his team might have performed better.
Guardiola was asked to describe the performance of himself and his coaches this season. The Catalan merely replied: "This season?" Very poor.
"Our opponents never handed us a red carpet when we won the crowns. My obligation was to handle the issue far better than I did.
When asked about the causes of the poor performance, he claimed to know: "A few things, the reason why it happened. Hopefully that will not happen again next season; this is critical."
The former Barcelona manager also promised fans that he remains enthused about his position and hopes to lead the club back to the top next season.
Despite their difficulties, City still has a chance to win silverware this season. Almost every other manager and team would be content with winning a trophy to make a season memorable.
However, given his legendary management record, Pep Guardiola cannot be satisfied with only one cup win. Despite the possibility of winning the FA Cup, he believes this season will be remembered as a failure.
The coach admitted: "I have said many times recently that it would be fantastic to make it to the FA Cup final and win. And to qualify for the Champions League.
"However, the season has been dismal. "It will not change."
Guardiola went on to say, "Our standards and many things were not excellent. This is the reality. It will not alter because we won one title.
City's manager has only once concluded a season without any silverware. He went on to say, "We will be happy, and of course, we want to win the FA Cup."
"However, if we qualify for the Champions League, we will all continue to behave as we have this season. Again, I said it's a tremendous success; winning the FA Cup is a huge success, but the season hasn't gone well."
The Catalan denies that his players, who have won so many titles in the past, are lacking in motivation. He declares, "I'm not saying they don't want it; they didn't want it. What I mean is that we weren't able."
City have had one of their worst seasons in a decade and are still battling to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Despite their well-documented injury woes, City's manager believes he and his team might have performed better.
Guardiola was asked to describe the performance of himself and his coaches this season. The Catalan merely replied: "This season?" Very poor.
"Our opponents never handed us a red carpet when we won the crowns. My obligation was to handle the issue far better than I did.
When asked about the causes of the poor performance, he claimed to know: "A few things, the reason why it happened. Hopefully that will not happen again next season; this is critical."
The former Barcelona manager also promised fans that he remains enthused about his position and hopes to lead the club back to the top next season.
Despite their difficulties, City still has a chance to win silverware this season. Almost every other manager and team would be content with winning a trophy to make a season memorable.
However, given his legendary management record, Pep Guardiola cannot be satisfied with only one cup win. Despite the possibility of winning the FA Cup, he believes this season will be remembered as a failure.
The coach admitted: "I have said many times recently that it would be fantastic to make it to the FA Cup final and win. And to qualify for the Champions League.
"However, the season has been dismal. "It will not change."
Guardiola went on to say, "Our standards and many things were not excellent. This is the reality. It will not alter because we won one title.
City's manager has only once concluded a season without any silverware. He went on to say, "We will be happy, and of course, we want to win the FA Cup."
"However, if we qualify for the Champions League, we will all continue to behave as we have this season. Again, I said it's a tremendous success; winning the FA Cup is a huge success, but the season hasn't gone well."
The Catalan denies that his players, who have won so many titles in the past, are lacking in motivation. He declares, "I'm not saying they don't want it; they didn't want it. What I mean is that we weren't able."
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