Report: Pep Guardiola Fined by FA for Wearing Yellow Ribbon in 'Act of Defiance'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly been fined by the Football Association for continuing to wear a yellow ribbon in solidarity with Catalan politicians, despite repeated warnings not to.

According to Sky Sports' Bryan Swanson, the FA did not accept Guardiola's defence:

Swanson added the commission considered an outright ban but decided a fine was more appropriate. The fee was reduced from £30,000 to £20,000.

Per the Guardian's David Hytner, Guardiola has been aware of the FA's opposition to him wearing the ribbon since February, but he stated then he would continue to do so.

At the time, he pointed out the FA's regulations don't match with those from the UEFA, Europe's governing body of the sport:

"They [the FA] know I will wear it always. I can wear it somewhere else. Uefa have another opinion. They say you can wear it as long as it’s with respect. Here [in England] it’s different apparently.

"I have empathy for the people who have no freedom, those guys in Spain who are in jail. They haven’t been proven guilty. Anyone can be in that situation. Before being a football manager I am a human being and this is for humanity."

Per Martha Kelner of the Guardian, the FA maintains the ribbon is a political symbol, while Guardiola called it a sign of solidarity and compared it to the poppy. The FA has been involved in a similar battle with UEFA for years, where its been argued the poppy is not a political symbol but a token of remembrance.