Manchester City reduced its fine of four weeks’ wages handed out to Carlos Tevez to just two weeks’ pay after England’s footballers’ union backed the player in his dispute with the Premier League club.

City planned to fine Tevez four weeks’ salary, which equates to around £800,000, after finding him guilty of misconduct over a touchline dispute during a 2-0 loss at Bayern Munich last month.

Unable to apply the larger fine, Man City said it would halve the punishment.

But it also criticised the PFA for what the club saw as a conflict of interest – with PFA CEO Gordon Taylor supporting Tevez at his hearing and then having the authority to decide whether or not to ratify the larger fine.

“Manchester City is disappointed by the apparent PFA conflict of interest evident in this process,” it said in a statement.