Carlos Tevez's four-week fine for refusing to play for Manchester City is "not justified", says the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).
City, who also banned Tevez for two weeks, found the striker guilty of what they say were five separate breaches of contract in a game against Bayern Munich in September.
But the PFA supports Tevez's claim that he did not refuse to play and says that a two-week fine is all that is allowed.
"The PFA's opinion, based on all the evidence presented, is that Carlos Tevez never refused to play for the club," said the PFA.
"This is accepted by the club in that the charge against Carlos made at the hearing was not one of refusing to play.
"As such the PFA considers that there is no justification for a fine other than up to the prescribed sanction of two weeks' wages agreed by the FA, the Premier League and PFA."
Following the incident in the Champions League last month, City launched an internal investigation which concluded that among the contractual duties breached by Tevez was one that says he has "an obligation to participate in any matches in which the player is selected to play for the club when directed by a club official".
Tevez insists he only refused to warm up and his advisors have told the BBC they believe that none of the five reasons given by City for upholding the charge of misconduct - which the club published on their website - are correct.
They have further been advised that City manager Roberto Mancini's post-match comments in Munich, where he said Tevez refused to play, could amount to defamation of character and that legal action against him could be forthcoming.
Tevez, who has 14 days to appeal to the club board against the misconduct charge, continues to insist that at no time during the Bayern Munich match was he told he was to be brought on to play, and he is understood to be considering his legal options.
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