Rodri has received a fine for comments he made about the referee’s lack of neutrality after Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City made a lot of positive strides in February to re-establish themselves as legitimate contenders for the Premier League title.
However, the month got off to a shaky start as Man City threw away a two-goal lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The match was marred by controversy, as Dominic Solanke’s first goal was allowed to stand, despite the fact he appeared to kick through Marc Guehi’s leg.
This caused frustration in the visiting dressing room, leading to Rodri slamming referee Robert Jones’ performance after the game.
Rodri picks up £80,000 fine for his post-match comments
As a result of Rodri’s criticism of Jones, he has been sanctioned by the FA. This is because the midfielder is deemed to have broken FA Rule E3.1, by implying bias or questioning the integrity of the match official.
The total sum of Rodri’s fine is £80,000 and he has been given a warning by the Regulatory Commission as to future conduct.
According to Jack Gaughan, Rodri blamed the media for his comments, but he accepted the FA misconduct charge and aplogised for his ‘inapproate words’. Despite this, the Spaniard has continued to deny that he implied bias against the matchday official.
Rodri’s did not hold back after Man City’s disappointing draw
It is hard for Rodri to argue with his fine, considering the nature of his comments after Man City’s draw with Spurs.
Following the game, he 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.”
Nevertheless, this does lead to questions about whether players deserved to be punished for critiquing a controversial refereeing decision.
Rodri had a right to be annoyed by the decision to allow Tottenham’s goal and he should really be able to express himself without being penalised.
