Manchester City midfielder Rodri has received an £80,000 fine after statements he made about the referee following last month’s Premier League draw against Tottenham.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has received an £80,000 fine after statements he made about the referee following last month’s Premier League draw against Tottenham.
The Spain international criticised referee Robert Jones after the 2-2 match played on 1 February. His remarks came during a media interview conducted after the final whistle.
According to the Football Association, Rodri accepted a charge stating that he “acted in an improper manner” during the interview by making comments that suggested bias or questioned the integrity of match officials.
The governing body explained that the midfielder’s statements were interpreted as implying that the referee had not acted impartially during the game.
Rodri’s frustration centred on Tottenham’s goal scored by Dominic Solanke during the match.
The City player believed the goal should not have been awarded because Solanke appeared to kick through the leg of Manchester City defender Marc Guehi in the build-up.
After the game, Rodri expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision and suggested that the referee had failed to remain neutral during the encounter.
“I know we won too much and the people don't want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral,” Rodri said in his comments following the match.
The FA’s regulatory commission stated that its members were unanimous in concluding that Rodri’s actions did not meet the threshold required to impose a playing suspension.
As part of the disciplinary process, the midfielder submitted two written statements to the commission.
In the first letter, Rodri argued that his remarks had been “misunderstood and misinterpreted by some media organisations.”
However, in a second letter, he acknowledged that the comments were inappropriate and did not meet the standards expected.
In his follow-up statement, Rodri said he had not meant to question the honesty or neutrality of the referees involved in the match.
“I wish to make clear that I did not intend to imply bias or question the integrity of the match officials,” he wrote.
He also emphasised that he respects referees and understands the challenges they face when officiating high-pressure matches.
Rodri added that his words were spoken in frustration after a disappointing result and admitted that the language he used could easily be interpreted in a different way than he intended.
