Man City's Rodri fined £80,000 for ref comments

Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been fined £80,000 for comments he made about the referee after last month's Premier League draw at Tottenham. The Spain international accused referee Robert Jones of not being "neutral" in City's 2-2 draw on 1 February. The Football Association said Rodri admitted a charge 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 was angry that Dominic Solanke's goal was allowed to stand after he appeared to kick through the leg of City defender Marc Guehi. "I know we won too much and the 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." The FA's regulatory commission was "unanimous" in its view that the threshold had not been met for a playing sanction to be imposed on Rodri, who sent two letters as part of his evidence. In the first letter, he said his words were "misunderstood and misinterpreted by some media organisations", but in the second he acknowledged they were "inappropriate and fell below the standard expected". "I wish to make clear that I did not intend to imply bias or question the integrity of the match officials," Rodri wrote in the second letter. "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." Follow your club with BBC Sport Get football news sent straight to your phone FA Cup fifth round: Bowen's second restores West Ham lead minutes after Brentford equaliser Man City host Liverpool, Port Vale face Chelsea - full FA Cup draw Four big calls Borthwick could make to revive England Jessie Buckley on The Bride! and Oscar nominated Hamnet The Nations Pod Guide puts Rome in the centre The Mitford sisters refuse to play by the rules The highlights of Piano Room Month 2026 with Vernon Kay Four big calls Borthwick could make to revive England 'We've not moved on from Old Firm cup final 45 years ago' India triumphant again - do the rest have any hope of catching them? Five talking points from round four of Six Nations Watch Celtic beat Rangers on penalties to reach Scottish Cup semis. Video Watch Celtic beat Rangers on penalties to reach Scottish Cup semis 'England's style of play is tedious and doesn't allow players to express themselves' Randell makes history with five wickets in five balls Was new-era F1 really racing or more like a computer game? 'Fantastic French made to look ordinary as Scotland come of age' Russell 'imperious' and Bearman 'raced beautifully' - driver ratings Winter Paralympics daily guide: 12 skiing golds decided on Tuesday 'I saw a drone hit the US consulate' - Patten's escape from Dubai Who is to blame for Spurs' chaotic descent towards relegation? 'Howard Webb, where are you?' - How we can stop VAR ruining football 'There were tears - but I had to peek behind curtain of head injuries in rugby' Iran, the US, and a World Cup that starts in three months Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.