Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been fined £80,000 and issued a formal warning by the Football Association (FA) but will face no suspension after admitting he acted improperly when he publicly questioned the neutrality of a referee following City’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Tottenham Hotspur on February 1.
An independent regulatory commission confirmed the sanction on Monday, finding that Rodri had acted in an improper manner during a post-match media interview by making comments that implied bias and questioned the integrity of match officials, contrary to FA Rule E3.1. The commission imposed the fine alongside a warning as to his future conduct.
The controversy centred on referee Robert Jones allowing a Dominic Solanke goal to stand despite an apparent foul on City defender Marc Guehi, a decision that sparked a Spurs comeback. Solanke completed the turnaround with a spectacular finish in the 70th minute to deny City what had been a 2-0 lead.
After the match, Rodri told broadcasters: “I know we won too much and the people don’t want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral. It’s not fair because we work so hard.”
In a letter to the FA dated February 23, Rodri apologised, writing: “I fully accept my words, as expressed, were inappropriate and fell below the standard expected of me as a professional player.” He maintained he did not intend to imply bias or attack the integrity of officials, describing his remarks as poorly chosen words made in a moment of frustration.
The commission unanimously concluded that the threshold had not been met to impose a playing ban, meaning Rodri remains available for City’s upcoming Premier League fixture against West Ham and the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.
