Pep Guardiola admitted "rules are rules" after being forced to change the timing of his Friday press conference to avoid Manchester City being fined further by the Premier League. They have been hit with bills of £3million in recent years for delaying kick-offs over the past two seasons.
They were handed a £2.09m fine and another of £1m due to delaying matches on 31 separate occasions. The league states that proper timekeeping "helps to ensure the organisation of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard." And Guardiola has had to adhere to similar rules on the days leading up to matches.
Guardiola has conducted his last two press conferences at 2pm on Fridays, which is half an hour after the league's deadline that requires all 20 clubs to have commenced their media briefings by 1.30pm on Friday, irrespective of when their weekend match is scheduled.
They were granted permission by the league to delay those press conferences prior to matches against Bournemouth and Liverpool. However, with Guardiola scheduling training for midday on Friday, he was eager to begin at 2pm once more, but was advised against it.
City and Guardiola were apprehensive about a penalty if they had three late starts consecutively, so instead, the 54-year-old chose a 9am start, and entered the grand media auditorium at the City Football Academy at 8.57am, full of energy.
The Catalan appeared relaxed in front of the press, humorously blaming the early start on the Premier League and stating he didn't want to risk another fine.
"We are training later and if we train at 12 until 1.30, I cannot be here (at the press conference) in time," Guardiola said. "The Premier League don't allow me at 2pm. The club said if I don't start by 2pm they will fine me or fine the club."
City are well aware of how severe the Premier League's penalties can be, having been slapped with fines totalling over £3m over the past two seasons for tardiness at the start of matches and after half-time.
During the 2023/24 season, the Blues were stung with a fine exceeding £2m for delaying kick-off 22 times throughout their 38 fixtures. Last season, they were penalised just over £1m after repeating the offence on nine separate occasions.
The majority of these infringements involve City taking too long to return to the pitch after half-time, but Guardiola light-heartedly pointed out that the pop stars Burna Boy and Anitta didn't receive a fine for delaying City's 2023 Champions League final with their pre-match performance.
"We paid a lot of money as I'm late at half-time," he quipped. "Sometimes I arrive one minute later but the rules are the rules and Premier League is impeccable for that, right?"
"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!
"That is why I decided 9am and the journalists have had their breakfast and will need to take a coffee."