Manchester City midfielder Rodri has discovered his punishment for comments he made about referee Robert Jones following his side’s draw at Tottenham last month. The Spanish international had suggested that Jones was not ’neutral’ following the 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 1 and was subsequently charged by the FA. The FA have confirmed that Rodri admitted that he “acted in an improper manner during a post-match media interview by making comments that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official and/or match officials".
Rodri learns FA punishment
The FA have now doled out a punishment to Rodri, who has been fined £80,000 - but crucially for Pep Guardiola’s side - has not been issued with a suspension of any kind. Rodri’s comments came after a Dominic Solanke goal was not chalked off after the Spurs striker appeared to kick through the leg of City centre-back Marc Guehi.
In his post-match interview, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner said: “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. When everything is finished, you are frustrated."According to the FA’s regulatory commission, Rodri sent two letters as poart of his defence, the first of which claimed that his words were "misunderstood and misinterpreted by some media organisations”.The 59-time Spain international would admit in his second letter that these words were "inappropriate and fell below the standard expected".In that letter, he wrote: “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."
