Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, is facing an FA charge due to remarks made about referee Robert Jones after the team’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham.
In a post-match interview, Rodri stated that Jones was not “neutral.”
The City squad expressed frustration following replays that appeared to show Dominic Solanke kicking through the leg of Marc Guéhi to score a goal, allowing Spurs to come back from a 2-0 deficit.
Rodri has been charged with misconduct, as the FA claims he “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.”
Rodri has until February 18 to respond to the charge.
As there are no specific penalties outlined in the regulations about media comments, any potential sanctions will be determined by an independent regulatory commission if Rodri is found guilty.
A ban could be a possibility.
Notably, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp received a two-match suspension in April 2023 for suggesting that referee Paul Tierney was biased against his team.
The FA has not clarified which specific comments from Rodri led to the charge.
After the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he stated: “I understand that people don’t want us to win since we have been so successful, but the referee must remain neutral.”
“It’s not fair because we put in so much effort. After everything is done, you feel frustrated.”
“It’s just one game after another, and it’s simply not right.”
“Honestly, I usually don’t comment on referees because I have immense respect for their jobs. However, they need to pay more attention to these situations.”
“He [Solanke] clearly kicked the leg. This has happened two or three games in a row, and I’m not sure why.”