Manchester City are refusing to give Robinho preferential treatment despite the Brazilian's contrite behaviour since walking out of the club's mid-season training camp in Tenerife. Mark Hughes, the manager, described his star player as "very apologetic" but has resolved to punish him with the heaviest fine that any player in the Premier League has ever faced.
Robinho will be docked two weeks' wages – £320,000 – from his next pay packet. However, Hughes and his management staff have opted against publicly criticising the former Real Madrid player as they try to deduce Robinho's state of mind and whether it is true that he is questioning his future at the club. Various sources have indicated Robinho is disillusioned and Chelsea's information is that he would like another chance to move to Stamford Bridge, having turned them down to join City last September.
Hughes is determined to come down heavily on Robinho but also knows he has to balance that by making sure he does not alienate his best player. "I have spoken to him and he has apologised," he said, adding the player was training alone in Brazil. "We had a brief chat, which was difficult given the language constraints, but he understands we need to address this, and that we will. But then we will move on."
Robinho has been on a damage-limitation exercise since Tuesday and, using the medium of his own website, it continued today with a carefully prepared script in which he spoke of having "a good relationship with Mark Hughes and respecting his decisions – he is the boss!"
He added: "I like living in Manchester and I have made many friends at the club and in the city since I arrived last year. I admire the Manchester City fans, who are truly lovers of football and loyal to the club. I am looking forward to delivering as many goals as possible to help our team move to the next level."
A different picture was conjured up by Arrigo Sacchi, the former Real technical director, who accused Robinho of paying the price for a bad career move. "It was not a football choice and he has lost the happiness that football gave him. Just as sad, he has lost the fantasy in his football. He totally messed up. No one can choose to leave Real Madrid to go to a club like Manchester City."
