Manchester City’s Rodri charged by FA after questioning referee neutrality against Tottenham

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is facing a Football Association (FA) ban after being charged with misconduct over comments made about Premier League referees.

Rodri hit out after City let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Tottenham Hotspur at the start of this month.

Dominic Solanke was adjudged to have made a fair challenge on City defender Marc Guehi in the act of scoring Tottenham’s first goal, something that annoyed manager Pep Guardiola and his players.

Guardiola had previously made several comments about City’s treatment by referees during his 10 seasons at the club, and speaking to Australian broadcaster Stan Sport after the game at Tottenham, Rodri echoed his manager’s thoughts.

“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,” he said.

“It’s not fair because we work so hard in these situations and now to make these decisions, we have to move on.

“Of course you need to come back but at the end, when everything is finished, we are frustrated because it’s so clear the foul. He kicked the leg and of course with the push of the action on the ball, the ball goes in.

“We have to pay attention to these little things otherwise it’s going to be difficult for everyone because this league is like this — it’s about small details and everything counts, so I think today is a very tough day for us in this sense.”

The FA confirmed on Friday that Rodri has now been charged for those comments. In the past, players have been suspended for suggesting impropriety from referees.

“It’s 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 3.1.,” the governing body said in a statement.

“Rodri has until Wednesday 18 February to provide a response.”