Manchester City midfielder Rodri was charged for his post match comments after the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has avoided a ban but been fined £80,000 for his post-match comments after the draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spaniard was initially charged by the Football Association with misconduct after his outburst following City’s 2-2 draw with Spurs at the beginning of February. Pep Guardiola’s side had taken a two-goal lead in North London before the hosts answered back to earn an unlikely draw with Dominic Solanke’s goal causing a stir.

The England striker saw his goal stand after the Spurs forward appeared to kick through the leg of Marc Guehi. Speaking in the media post-match, Rodri accused referee Robert Jones of not being “neutral”.

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Today (March 9), an independent commission has sanctioned Rodri with the midfielder fined £80,000, but he will not serve a suspension for his comments.

In their written reasons, it was confirmed that the commission were unanimous that the comments made by the Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder didn’t meet the threshold in order for a playing sanction.

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Rodri was said to have co-operated with the FA throughout. He admitted the charge at the earliest opportunity and in full, as a result his fine was reduced from £120,000 to £80,000, and he has since apologised for the comments that he made, accepting that his outburst was inappropriate.

The midfielder also didn’t repeat the comments in other post-match media interviews, and it was noted that he has no previous disciplinary issues, in relation to misconduct charges and comments to the media.

In a statement, the 29-year-old said: “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 part of Rodri’s evidence, he referenced Diogo Dalot’s tackle on Jeremy Doku as one of the decisions that he felt had gone against City in the lead up to the showdown with Tottenham Hotspur.

Antoine Semenyo’s disallowed goal for interfering with play during their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg against Newcastle United was also referenced. Meanwhile, as part of the defence, City highlighted cases with the FA against Frank Lampard, formerly of Everton in 2022, Marco Silva and Chris Wilder both in 2024, highlighting that financial sanctions rather than sporting have been issued.