Manchester City have been fined £260,000 by the FA following a pitch invasion by the club's supporters at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of last season against Aston Villa.
Pep Guardiola's side came from behind in dramatic fashion to secure a 3-2 victory against Steven Gerrard's men on May 22 and win their fourth Premier League title in five seasons.
City fans stormed onto the pitch at full time, with Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen allegedly attacked as he attempted to leave the field.
The Citizens issued an apology for the incident, stating: "Manchester City would like to sincerely apologise to Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who was assaulted after the final whistle at today's match when fans entered the pitch.
"The club has launched an immediate investigation and once identified, the individual responsible will be issued with an indefinite stadium ban."
© Reuters
Just a day after the game, two supporters who were in connection with the assault were charged by Greater Manchester Police.
The FA have now released a statement confirming that City have admitted to failing to control the behaviour of the crowd, and the club have been fined and warned about their future conduct.
An official statement released on Friday afternoon read: "Manchester City has been fined £260,000 and warned about its future conduct for breaching FA Rule E20 after a Premier League game against Aston Villa FC on Sunday 22 May 2022."
"The club admitted that it failed to ensure its spectators – and all those purporting to be its supporters or followers – conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening and violent behaviour while encroaching onto the pitch after the final whistle.
"An independent Regulatory Commission imposed these sanctions during a subsequent hearing and its written reasons for them will be published in due course."
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) October 7, 2022
City's pitch invasion at the Etihad was the fourth unsavoury incident to occur in English football within a six-day period at the end of last season.
A Nottingham Forest fan was jailed after pleading guilty to attacking Sheffield United's Billy Sharp on May 17, following a pitch invasion by Forest supporters celebrating their victory in the Championship playoff semi-finals.
Just two days later, Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira clashed with an Everton fan on the pitch at Goodison Park, with the Toffees fined £300,000 for two pitch invasions in this fixture, while Swindon Town players picked up injuries after clashing with supporters following a defeat on penalties against Port Vale in the League Two playoff semi-finals.
Man City play host to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday and require at least a draw to climb to the top of the table ahead of Arsenal, who face Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Oliver Thomas
