Manchester City fined £120,000 for players besieging referees, the FA has announced that Manchester City have been fined £120,000 for players besieging referees in a match against Tottenham. Manchester City FC acknowledged the player's misconduct in the game and the Independent Oversight Commission made the penalty decision after a hearing. The match ended in a draw between Manchester City and Tottenham. After the game, the referee's decision caused a lot of discussion.
The biggest controversy came in the closing stages of the game, when Haaland was fouled after winning the ball in midfield and went down to the ground to pass the ball to Jack Grealish, who was already on his own. However, the referee did not penalize the foul and stopped the game after Grealish's one-on-one shot. Jack Grealish had a chance to score after getting the ball, but the referee's whistle denied City the chance to win. Regardless of whether the referee makes a mistake or not, the player should respect the referee.
Manchester City's players besieging referee Simon Hooper after the referee blew the whistle, which is absolutely not allowed. This is also one of the important reasons why Manchester City was punished. A fine of £120,000 may not be too much of a loss for the giants Manchester City, especially if Haaland is not punished. Pep Guardiola's side have been in inconsistent form lately, winning just one of their last five Premier League games, leading to a drop in the table.
In this case, if Haaland is suspended, it will be even more costly for Manchester City. Although Haaland is currently unavailable due to injury, the suspension is still not ideal. For Manchester City, being exempt from a ban is already an acceptable outcome. Manchester City will face a lot of pressure in the second half of the league campaign, not only to recover quickly and catch up on points, but also to face a dense schedule of Champions League, Club World Cup and domestic cups, which will put an even greater burden on the team. Manchester City finally have some good news.
First of all, Haaland's injury has improved and he is likely to be back for the upcoming games. Secondly, De Bruyne has officially started training and will soon be back to play for Manchester City.