Manchester United got back to winning ways at the weekend with a spirited 2-1 triumph over Chelsea.
But the actions of Harry Maguire after his second-half substitution could land the club in hot water with the Premier League.
Second win of the season
Saturday’s clash with Chelsea was a must-win match for the under-fire Ruben Amorim, who started Maguire in the middle of his back three as Leny Yoro dropped to the bench.
After an early red card for Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez the Red Devils surged into a 2-0 lead, with Maguire providing an unwitting assist for the Casemiro header which doubled United’s advantage.
On the stroke of half-time the Brazilian midfielder was shown a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Andrey Santos, and things got progressively more tense during the second period, especially after Trevor Chalobah pulled one back for the Blues.
United held on for a crucial win in the torrential Manchester rain, but there may yet be a sting in the tail after the Manchester Evening News reported that the Red Devils “face being referred to the Premier League for further investigation and possible regulatory action” following the game.
Multiball rule breach
The report notes that footage has surfaced on social media apparently showing Maguire kicking away one of the spare balls positioned behind Chelsea’s goal as he left the field to be replaced by Yoro.
The Englishman was directed to leave the pitch at the closest point and walk around, and on his way past the opposition goal he knocked one of these balls off its cone.
Maguire’s actions were captured in a video uploaded to X by @_StrettyEnd.
As per the MEN, the Premier League introduced the multiball system to “maintain the flow of matches and reduce delays”.
League literature says that “adherence to the relevant rules and guidance is of vital importance to maintain consistency and, crucially, to ensure that home clubs do not gain a competitive advantage through their misuse of the system.”
Possible punishment
The Premier League’s Multiball Protocol states: “Participants (including but not limited to players, substitutes, occupants of the Technical Area or any other Club personnel) must not interfere with the multiball system, the match ball or the replacement balls at any time.”
Given the video evidence there is little doubt that the United centre-back is guilty of this misdemeanour, and the protocol indicates that investigation may follow.
Specifically, it states that “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.”
Happily, however, the MEN note that “no serious repercussions are expected for the incident”, although Maguire and his team-mates would do well to avoid the temptation to meddle with the spare balls in the future.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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