December 18, (THEWILL) – The England Football Association has hit Manchester City with a £120,000 fine after their players surrounded referee Simon Hooper during injury time of their English Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. The incident occurred in the 94th minute of the game on Sunday, December 3, as City were pushing for a late winner in the 3-3 draw.
The referee had initially played advantage when Spurs’ Emerson Royal committed a foul on City striker Erling Haaland. However, Hooper then controversially blew his whistle as Jack Grealish raced through on goal after being set up by Haaland. This decision sparked an animated reaction and dissent from City’s players towards the match official.
An irate Haaland along with manager Pep Guardiola remonstrated angrily with Hooper for ending their attack. The Norwegian striker later vented his frustration over the decision on social media as well.
City have now been disciplined by the governing body for failing to control their players surrounding and confronting the referee. The club admitted the improper conduct charge levelled against them.
In an official statement, the FA said: “Manchester City FC have been fined £120,000 after they admitted that they failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper way during the 94th minute.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
