Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been fined £80,000 by a Football Association regulatory commission but has avoided a ban for comments he made about refereeing after his side's 2-2 draw with Tottenham in February.
The Spain international criticised referee Robert Jones following the match, suggesting that officials were not neutral. He admitted a charge of making comments that implied bias and/or questioned the integrity of a match official.
In written evidence submitted to the FA, Rodri clarified his remarks, stating that he did not intend to accuse referees of being biased but was expressing frustration at a series of incorrect decisions he believed had gone against City in recent games.
City's legal team cited three previous cases involving managers Frank Lampard, Marco Silva and Chris Wilder, who were fined but not suspended for similar comments about officials, as precedent for avoiding a ban.
In addition to the financial penalty, Rodri was warned about his future conduct. The midfielder will be available for City's upcoming fixtures.
