Unseen footage emerges of Harry Maguire breaking Premier League rule, he could be punished
Harry Maguire could land himself in trouble with the Premier League after footage has emerged online showing him breaking one of the competition’s rules.
Maguire was named in Ruben Amorim‘s Manchester United side who beat Chelsea 2-1 last weekend.
The Red Devils were gracious in victory, but Maguire could now become the centre of a Premier League disciplinary process after footage showed him deliberately kicking a ball away.
Footage shows Harry Maguire breaking Premier League rule
Maguire was substituted in the 70th minute against Chelsea with Leny Yoro coming on in his place.
While walking toward the Old Trafford dugout, the 32-year-old booted one of the game’s multiballs off its cone.
While the act seems trivial, the Premier League take a dim view when it comes to club staff interfering with the multiball system, which was introduced to prevent lengthy delays and time-wasting tactics.
The Premier League’s rules on the multiball system state:
- The cones and the Ball Assistants must remain in the same positions for the entirety of the league match.
- Participants must not interfere with the multiball system, the match ball or the replacement balls at any time.
- Any failure to follow the multiball protocol will be referred to the Premier League for further investigation and possible regulatory action under the Premier League rules.
Maguire’s blatant interference could see the league’s regulatory panel take action.
Maguire facing possible punishment
Should the Premier League investigate Maguire’s actions last weekend, they could use the punishment they handed Aston Villa last month as the benchmark.
Unai Emery‘s side were handed a £125,000 fine for failure to adhere to the Premier League’s multiball rules in five matches last season [BBC Sport], and former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett suspects Manchester United’s No. 5 could suffer a similar fate.
“There is no doubt that Harry Maguire is passionate about his role in Manchester United,” Hackett told Football Insider.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve and kicking the ball away is a clear act of frustration.
“We have seen in the past managers kicking a bottle down the touchline out of frustration usually around a referee’s decision.
“Maguire’s actions, which I can sympathise with, are unacceptable and will be the subject of a review panel set up to determine if he will be sanctioned with a fine or suspension.”
United’s next fixture will see them travel to Brentford (27 September) for a Premier League matchup.
Maguire is likely to be available for that game but could be handed a suspension further down the line.