FA fines Rodri £80k for post-match referee comments

Manchester City’s Rodri has been fined £80,000 by the The Football Association after comments he made about the referee following Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last month.

The Spain international criticised referee Robert Jones during a post-match interview after the 1 February Premier League clash, suggesting the official had not been “neutral”.

As reported by BBC Sport on Monday, Rodri made the remarks after Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke scored a controversial goal that City players felt should have been ruled out.

The midfielder believed Solanke had kicked through the leg of City defender Marc Guehi in the build-up, but the goal was allowed to stand.

“I know we won too much and people don’t want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral,” Rodri said after the game. “It’s not fair because we work so hard. When everything is finished, you are frustrated.”

Following the comments, the Football Association charged Rodri with acting in an improper manner during a post-match media interview, stating his remarks implied bias and questioned the integrity of match officials.

The FA said Rodri admitted the charge and accepted his comments fell below the expected standard.

However, an independent regulatory commission decided the threshold for a sporting punishment had not been met, meaning the midfielder will not face a playing suspension.

As part of the disciplinary process, Rodri submitted two letters explaining his comments.

In the first, he said his words had been misunderstood and misinterpreted by some media organisations. In a second letter, he acknowledged the remarks were inappropriate.

“I wish to make clear that I did not intend to imply bias or question the integrity of the match officials.

“I have always had, and continue to have, great respect for referees and the difficult job they undertake in a fast-moving and highly pressured environment.

“My comments were made in a moment of frustration after a disappointing result. Upon reflection, I recognise that the words I used were poorly chosen and capable of being interpreted in a way that I did not intend,” Rodri said.

The FA’s regulatory commission said it was unanimous in its decision to issue a financial penalty rather than a suspension, concluding that a fine of £80,000 was an appropriate sanction.

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