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FA Panel Fines Rodri £80,000 Over Referee Comments and Imposes No Ban

An independent commission judged the remarks below the threshold for a suspension, leaving the midfielder available for Manchester City’s next matches.

Overview

  • Rodri admitted an FA Rule E3.1 charge for post‑match comments that implied bias and questioned officials’ integrity after a 2-2 draw at Tottenham on February 1.
  • An independent Regulatory Commission issued an £80,000 fine and a formal warning, with written reasons published on March 9.
  • The panel was unanimous that a playing sanction was not warranted and noted the FA did not invite it to consider a suspension.
  • Mitigating factors reduced an initial proposed £120,000 fine, including early admission, cooperation, and a previously clean record for media conduct.
  • Rodri apologised in writing, said his words were poorly chosen in frustration over Dominic Solanke’s VAR-reviewed goal, and City cited comparable cases involving Frank Lampard, Marco Silva and Chris Wilder to argue for a financial penalty.