Unai Emery 'will have been warned' as Aston Villa sanctioned by Premier League
Unai Emery would have been reminded of his responsibilities after Aston Villa were handed a £570,000 fine by the Premier League.
That is according to former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, who exclusively explained to Villa News the reasoning behind the punishment.
The fine relates to Villa delaying kickoff to the first half or second half of games 10 separate times last season.
Villa accepted the punishment, which included an additional fine of £20,000 for repeat offending.
And in the view of Hackett, it is entirely understandable why the Premier League have hit Villa in the pocket.
Why is it important Premier League games kick off on time?
As anyone who has watched the World Cup this summer will attest, the scheduled kickoff times can often be a little off.
Indeed, there have been occasions when the game has started five minutes or so after the set time.
But that does not tend to happen in the Premier League as games run on a strict timetable.
Responding to the fine handed to Villa, Hackett explained: "The Premier League are sending out a clear message to all their clubs of the importance of kicking off on time.
"You will see a member of the broadcasting team standing at the edge of the pitch to signal to the referee when to kick off. I am sure that the EPL will have received complaints from their overseas broadcasters.
"Those broadcasters do not have people in studios leading up to the game. In many instances, a one-minute lead in film is played and the game starts. Delays impact on their broadcasting schedules.
"Aston Villa will have received warnings about these delayed kick offs. I am sure that the manager, Unai Emery, will also have been informed of his responsibility together with his team out onto the field of play in time.
"Premier League games are seen in 211 territories around the world. Referees are often reminded of the importance of kicking off on time.
"That also means not kicking off early risking an early goal being scored, and when the stream goes live overseas a goal is missed.
"It also has implications on the huge betting programme that takes place on every Premier League games."
While Villa have accepted the fine, however, they do have some grounds to be annoyed.
Chelsea partly to blame for Aston Villa fine
Villa have had high-profile financial issues in recent years, of course, so this is far from ideal.
Sure, half-a-million quid is not exactly a mammoth some in this day and age, but it is still an inconvenience.
But some of the cases listed were arguably out of the Villans' hands, such as the delayed kickoff against Chelsea.
Chelsea were the side who delayed kickoff when Liam Rosenior's players huddled around the ball.
For some reason, Villa are the side to have been punished for that, rather than Chelsea.
Still, lessons will no doubt have been learned from the other occasions this happened in order to avoid any further fines next season.