London, Jan. 27 : Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour has backed team coach Mark Hughes's decision to slap Brazilian striker Robinho with a 320,000 fine for skipping a training session in the Tenerife to return to his hometown San Paolu in Brazil.

A Daily Express report said that Hughes has clearly told Robinho that he will not tolerate any further breaches of club discipline.

Hughes had the clear-the-air talks with Robinho when the player returned to training after going AWOL from the squad's mid-winter break in Tenerife last week to spend five days in Brazil.

Apart from fining Robinho two weeks' wages, Hughes made it clear to his 12-goal leading scorer there could be no special treatment for any players, regardless of status, reputation or transfer valuation.

Hughes knows he had to act because if he had not, his reputation for rigid discipline would have been left in tatters and he would have been open to accusations of favouritism from the other players.

Before the meeting, Hughes said: "I will deal with Robinho in such a way that I absolutely would not expect this to happen again. I feel confident that if there was a longer problem with any player, even Robinho, I would have the go-ahead from Sheikh Mansour to deal with it in whatever way I saw fit."

I have always felt that top players are easier to control because they have a professional maturity and a winning mentality," he added.

Hughes is angered by suggestions he constantly needs to reassure Robinho of City's ambitions.

Hughes said: "People talk about making assurances to Robinho but any reassurances would just be repetition. He knows how I feel. I have no problems with good footballers. The ones that are a problem are those that have a higher opinion of their ability than is apparent and a higher opinion of their worth to the team."

However, there was a conflicting report by The Sun that said Robinho breezed back into Manchester City yesterday and escaped the expected rocket from boss Mark Hughes.

After a week away in Brazil, Robinho did not have a care in the world as he laughed and joked at the training ground.

The pair had what was described as a "brief grown-up conversation" and Robinho, 25, was not fined.

Then the Brazilian departed for a meeting with a group that included his father Gilvan, his lawyer and accountant.

A source close to his advisors said: "There was no showdown between Robinho and Hughes. He doesn't feel he has done anything wrong." (ANI)