FA Fines Rodri 80,000 Pounds for Referee Comments

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been fined 80,000 pounds by the Football Association for comments questioning the neutrality of match officials following his team's 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur on February 1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, who won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, admitted to a charge of misconduct during a post-match media interview. The FA alleged that Rodri acted improperly by implying bias and questioning the integrity of referee Robert Jones and other officials, in violation of Rule E3.1. An independent regulatory commission imposed the fine and issued a formal warning about his future conduct, but declined to suspend him after a paper hearing that Rodri chose over a personal appearance.

Rodri's frustration centered on Tottenham's equalizing goal in the 70th minute, scored by Dominic Solanke. City players protested that Solanke had kicked through the leg of defender Marc Guehi in the buildup, but video assistant referee officials reviewed the incident and upheld the goal. City had led 2-0 earlier through strikes from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, only for Solanke's brace to secure a point for the hosts in a...