Rodri was unhappy after Manchester City drew with Tottenham (Image: Getty)
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been fined £80,000 by the FA for his comments after his side drew with Tottenham Hotspur - however, he will not miss any of his side's upcoming matches against Arsenal. The Ballon d'Or winner was furious after his side drew 2-2 with Tottenham at the start of February.
In his post-match media interview, he implied referees are biased against City, saying: "I know we won too much and the people don't want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral. And for me, honestly, it's not fair," after feeling Marc Guehi had been found in the build-up to Dominic Solanke's crucial goal, but VAR opted not to intervene to disallow the goal. Despite the charges, which he admitted, the Spaniard will not have to serve a ban. This will be a huge relief to Pep Guardiola's side, who face Arsenal in the League Cup final on March 22nd and in a crucial Premier League clash next month.
A statement from the FA said: "An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Rodri for the media comments that he made after Manchester City’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 1 February.
"It was alleged that the midfielder 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, contrary to FA Rule E3.1.
"Rodri subsequently admitted the charge against him. The Regulatory Commission imposed an £80,000 fine and warning as to future conduct following a hearing, and its written reasons for these sanctions can be seen below."
The FA also understood the commission all agreed Rodri's comments did not meet the threshold required to hand him a playing sanction. Moreover, his fine was also reduced from £120,000 to £80,000 because he admitted the charge at the earliest opportunity.
Rodri is a hugely important player for City (Image: Getty)
He had also apologised for his comments in a statement, which read: "I would like to apologise again for the comments I made during my post-match interview following the fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on 1 February 2026. I fully accept that my words, as expressed, were inappropriate and fell below the standard expected of me as a professional player.
"I wish to make clear that I did not intend to imply bias or question the integrity of the match officials. 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."
As well as the clashes against Arsenal in the next few weeks, City, in the Premier League, face West Ham United away and host Crystal Palace, before the League Cup final.