Fines in football have always been a way of keeping players well-behaved both on and off the pitch. After all, nobody likes seeing their wages depleted – even if many players make thousands every week.
When Frank Lampard was Chelsea manager, his fines list leaked giving everyone an insight into the sort of things Premier League stars get punished for – and how much it costs them. Being late on match day, for instance, could cost as much as £2,500, and that wasn't the biggest fine either.
Carlos Tevez ruffled a few feathers during his time at Manchester City. That said, the Etihad outfit once tried to slap him with a penalty fee so high that the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) actually had to intervene and make sure it was halved.
Roberto Mancini Fumed over Tevez Incident
Tevez arrived in England in 2006, quickly making himself a cult hero at West Ham United before joining Manchester United. After winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League, he controversially left for rivals Man City in 2009.
While he would win the league as well as the FA Cup during his time at City, things did sour under manager Roberto Mancini. In September 2011, Tevez was named as a substitute for City's game at Bayern Munich, leading to a rather remarkable incident.
The English outfit would lose 2-0 at Bayern, and after the game, Mancini furiously told reporters that the Argentine striker had refused his request to go on as a second-half substitute. Tevez denied this, saying he had not been asked to go on but to warm up and he felt he had already warmed up sufficiently.
Unhappy still, Mancini claimed that the forward would never play for him again, with the media reports touting a move in the upcoming January market most likely. What's more, the club the opted to fine the player a record £1m, claiming they found Tevez guilty of five breaches of contract.
Man City Furious as PFA Halt £1m Fine for Tevez
Roberto Mancini and Carlos Tevez
This is where the PFA stepped in. If a Premier League club want to issue more than the statutory two-week fine, they must get clearance from the PFA. This £1m fee was far beyond that, as City looked to hit Tevez with a massive four-week fine.
The PFA stepped in to prevent the punishment after chief executive Gordon Taylor ruled there were insufficient grounds to impose a greater punishment on one of its members. They rejected Mancini's claim that the then-27-year-old had refused to come on as a substitute. The players' union said:
"The PFA's opinion, based on all the evidence presented, is that Carlos Tevez never refused to play for the club. This is accepted by the club in that the charge against Carlos made at the hearing was not one of refusing to play.
"As such, the PFA considers that there is no justification for a fine other than up to the prescribed sanction of two weeks' wages agreed by the FA, the Premier League and PFA. The PFA has informed the Manchester City football club accordingly and Carlos will continue to be supported by the PFA in this regard."
City, in turn, were furious as they explained why there was a 'conflict of interest' in the ruling. "Manchester City is disappointed by the apparent PFA conflict of interest evident in this process," read a club statement.
"Carlos Tevez has been personally represented throughout by the PFA chief executive, on whose considerations the club has been informed that the PFA has made its decision.
"Manchester City has been in constant dialogue with the PFA since 28 September. Today's PFA decision is a departure from the club's understanding of that dialogue. Without recourse to the PFA decision available, the maximum two-week fine provided for in standard player contracts will now be applied in relation to the misconduct of Carlos Tevez."
Silhouette of Carlos Tevez at Etihad Stadium with Man City logo and Premier League trophy Related
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Tevez Later Helped Man City Win Their First Premier League
Manchester City pair Carlos Tevez and Gareth Barry celebrate scoring against Burnley.
Club owner Sheikh Mansour authorised the placing of Tevez on garden leave for the winter, but no exit materialised in the January market. As such, having accepted his two-week fine, the Argentine eventually resumed training in February 2012, as he publicly apologised "sincerely and unreservedly."
He would then actually go on to return to action in March, grabbing an assist against Chelsea on his first game back, before later scoring a hat-trick vs Norwich. He scored four times and claimed three assists in ten league games as City went on to win the Premier League for the first time ever.
What's more, Tevez even started the final game of the season, as Sergio Aguero netted the famous winner against QPR. Despite the winter drama of 2011, he hung around until the summer of 2013, before eventually joining Juventus.