Aston Villa has been hit with a significant fine and a three-match ban on its multiball system after admitting to a fifth breach of Premier League rules.
The sanction, which totals a £125,000 fine, comes in the wake of the club's final home match of the 2024/25 season and serves as a major talking point ahead of their Premier League opener this weekend.
The Premier League issued a statement confirming that it had entered into a sanction agreement with Aston Villa for its repeated misuse of the multiball system.
The rules, first introduced in the 2022/23 season, are designed to maintain the flow of matches and ensure fairness by providing a consistent number of balls and ball assistants for both teams.
According to the League's findings, the most recent breach occurred during Villa's crucial final home game against Tottenham Hotspur, where they were pushing for Champions League qualification.
The Premier League's official document on the sanction agreement states that the club had additional ball assistants and extra balls behind the goal Villa were attacking, but not at the end the opposition was attacking.
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This created an "imbalance" and, in the League's view, was "intentional" with the aim of gaining a "competitive advantage."
The penalty is a stern warning from the Premier League.
In addition to the fine, Aston Villa will be prohibited from operating the multiball system at their first three home league matches of the 2025/26 season.
This includes their highly anticipated opening day clash with Newcastle United, followed by fixtures against Crystal Palace and Fulham.
This latest fine brings Aston Villa's total for multiball breaches over the last season to £330,000.
It highlights a frustrating pattern of non-compliance that the club has now been forced to address.
While some may argue the fine is minor for a Premier League club, the three-match ban on their home system is a more pointed punishment, ensuring the club will not be able to gain a similar advantage in the crucial early stages of the new campaign.
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