Rodri facing ban as FA punish Man City star for 'implying bias' in referee

Manchester City star Rodri is facing a ban after the the FA confirmed he has been charged for his controversial comments made following the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

On February 1, Manchester City travelled to London to face a injury-ridden Spurs side in what many expected would be a comfortable win for the visitors.

However, as always seems to be the case for Pep Guardiola's side, it was anything but an easy match as Spurs came back to draw 2-2 after goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo put City ahead before half-time.

Post-match, City captain Rodri stirred up controversy as he made a series of bold claims about referee Robert Jones and his decision-making about a key moment in the game.

And now, the FA have released a statement confirming that the Ballon d'Or winner has been charged for his actions.

Perhaps the most controversial moment of the match came in the second half as Spurs striker Dominic Solanke forced an error from defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi, leading to the latter scoring an own goal.

In his post-match interview, Rodri claimed that Jones had made in mistake allowing the goal to stand, suggesting that Solanke had fouled the City defender by kicking him in the back of the leg, pushing the ball into the net.

"We are frustrated because it's so clear the foul, he kicked the leg," Rodri said.

"We have to pay attention to these little things, otherwise it's going to be difficult for everyone because this league is about small details.

"I know we won too much and the people don't want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral.

"It's not fair because we work so hard. When everything is finished, you are frustrated."

Of course, Rodri's implication that referee Jones was in some way biased against City was met with serious backlash, and now the FA have confirmed that it has charged him for his actions.

“Manchester City’s Rodri has been charged with misconduct in relation to comments that he made after their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 1 February 2026," an FA spokesperson confirmed.

“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.

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

Following the deadline, an independent panel will meet to discuss the matter, with a suspension a the most likely sanction.

Back in 2023, the FA handed then Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a touchline ban after he had suggested that referee Paul Tierney had "something against" his side.