Man City hopeful Rodri's potential ban for chanting 'Gibraltar is Spanish' at Euro 2024 celebration party will not impact Champions League campaign as star awaits UEFA verdict
- Rodri and Alvaro Morata have been charged by UEFA over the incident
Manchester City are hopeful that any ban handed to Rodri for an inflammatory chant during Spain’s European Championship celebrations will not impact their Champions League campaign.
Along with Alvaro Morata, Rodri was caught singing ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’, which prompted UEFA to open disciplinary proceedings against the pair after the Gibraltar FA lodged a formal complaint.
Both were charged earlier this week and UEFA’s disciplinary body have the power to hand down suspensions for both country and club European competitions simultaneously.
Jude Bellingham was given a suspended ban – officially for both England and Real Madrid – for an alleged obscene gesture made after scoring against Slovakia in the round of 16.
Merih Demiral, the Turkey defender who plays in Saudi Arabia, was banned for two national team matches for a politically charged ‘wolf’ celebration, which is deemed to be linked to a far-right group.
Rodri and teammate Alvaro Morata are set to investigated by UEFA after chants at the parade
Spain have two fixtures in September and following the previous two cases during the Euros, Rodri is likely to be clear of a potential ban once the Champions League starts later that month.
The Gibraltar FA said that it ‘noted the extremely provocative and insulting nature of the celebrations around the Spanish Men's national team winning Euro 2024. Football has no place for behaviour of this nature.’
The central midfielder, who Pep Guardiola has tipped to win the Ballon d’Or later this year, is not linking back up with City until the week of the Community Shield against Manchester United on August 10.
Guardiola’s side moved to New York ahead of Saturday night’s friendly against AC Milan and the manager was by the Rockefeller Centre waxing lyrical about basketball yesterday.
The Catalan, whose friend Joe Mazzulla – the Boston Celtics coach – attended their defeat by Celtic in North Carolina earlier in the week, revealed he was given special access to the NBA finals last month.
Guardiola went to watch Mazzulla work and is said to have helped the Celtics coach attack a stubborn Dallas Mavericks defence.
‘I was privileged because a few days before the final it was nice to listen to the game plan,’ Guardiola said at a Puma block party.
‘We were talking about to control things. It was really nice. There are similarities between the games. It’s the highest competition: the NBA finals are the best of every player. It was really cool to be there and listen.’
