Rodri, who refuses the spotlight, is a candidate to win the Ballon d'Or for the second time

Rodri, who refuses the spotlight, is a candidate to win the Ballon d'Or for the second time

Rodri never sought to be the focus of the fans' attention or a controversial player. While a generation of players is busy building personal brands and seeking online interactions, the Barcelona and Spain midfielder stays away from social media and avoids the limelight, preferring to talk about tactics in the same way other players talk about cars!

He is, by his own admission, an introvert who is good at controlling the course of football matches. His football career has been full of achievements so far, as the 30-year-old has won 12 major trophies with Manchester City, and led the Spanish national team to win the European Nations Cup and the World Cup.

Rodri, who scored a hat-trick in Spain's victory over the Czech Republic in the European Nations League the day before yesterday, stressed that the successes he achieved with Manchester City cannot be withdrawn or cancelled, after the club was found guilty of violating the majority of the financial rules (numbering 115 rules) that the English Premier League accused it of violating. The club filed an appeal against this decision.

Rodri also won the Ballon d'Or as the best player in the world for the year 2024, and he is also nominated to win it for the second time at the end of this month (October), which is a rare achievement for a defensive midfielder.

From a summer camp in the US state of Connecticut, through the lecture halls in Castellón, Spain, and all the way to the Champions League final, Rodri showed a willingness to adapt to the requirements of any environment he is in, understand the reasons for those requirements, and then move forward with their implementation.

Understanding his character and personality is the starting point for understanding why he chose Barcelona - and not Real Madrid - as his next destination after leaving Manchester City in the summer.

(From disappointment to glory)

Rodri's playing style has been shaped by an educational system that treats football intelligence as a skill that can be taught and honed. Spanish youth academies operate on the principle that the coach is first and foremost a “teacher,” which Rodri absorbed from a young age. But he also got out of his comfort zone very early. When he was fourteen years old, his father wanted him to spend an academic year in an American high school, but his participation for a full season with the youth teams of Villarreal Club made that impossible. So the family came to a compromise: attend a summer camp deep in the woods of Connecticut. That period earned him a mastery of the English language with an American accent, something that his Manchester City teammates would later joke with him about. He also witnessed Spain’s victory in the 2010 World Cup, as he watched the match alone by a lake, thousands of miles away from his homeland.

The pace of his development accelerated after Atletico Madrid released him when he was a teenager, as the growth of his body did not keep pace with the maturity of his football mind at that time.

Villarreal club included him in its ranks, and there he continued his football and academic life in parallel. He moved to Castellon, the largest city near Villarreal, when he was seventeen years old, and went to university to study business administration.

He combined morning training with afternoon lectures, cycling to training and living among students who did not realize that their quiet classmate would soon become a regular in the Spanish Premier League.

When he appeared on television one evening, his flatmates realized that the young man studying accounting with them was the same player wearing the number 6 shirt for Villarreal. Since then, he has described that period as the best in his life.

The rest of the story of his rise is known to everyone; Atletico Madrid brought him back to its ranks in 2018 under the leadership of coach Diego Simeone, who refined his fighting spirit and enhanced his performance and competitiveness.

One year later, Manchester City paid the value of the release clause in his contract amounting to 70 million euros, and Spanish coach Pep Guardiola turned him into what can be considered the best anchor player of his generation.

His career was not without missteps, including the defeat in the Champions League final against Chelsea in 2021, a loss that left him unable to speak to his family afterward. But two years later, the moment of redemption came when he scored the goal that gave Manchester City the Champions League title in 2023.

That goal changed the course of his football career; This was followed by his participation in the European Nations Championship with Spain and winning the Ballon d'Or, in addition to the World Cup title and the tournament's best player award, which were achievements that preceded his move to Barcelona this summer. But there is a feeling that his story is not over yet.

Rodri ended his title-filled career with Manchester City this summer, but he did not avoid talking about the issue facing his former club, which is threatened with the withdrawal of its titles and penalties that could lead to City being relegated to the second division. The current Barcelona midfielder said: “We faced a similar matter in 2020, when we went through similar judicial procedures. “The charges were different, but the procedures were the same.” He added: “Also at that time, we were initially convicted, but we trusted the club and its upholding of innocence, and in the end we were acquitted.”

He stressed: “Therefore, I trust the judicial system, and I trust the club’s innocence.”

Rodri was referring to Manchester City's success in overturning the two-year ban from participating in European competitions, imposed by UEFA, after the club appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But the potential penalties in the current case may be harsh, which raises questions about the club’s achievements, including some titles achieved by Rodri that detract from the value of what he achieved with Manchester City. Rodri commented: “For us as players, it is different from what it is for you. I understand all opinions, and I realize that the matter is of great interest now, when you live inside the club every day and see the people who have worked hard over these years to achieve all the successes we have achieved.” He continued: “It is not just about Guardiola and the players, but rather about the entire club system, starting with the owners and ending with the people who worked daily.”

He said: “What we have achieved, no one can take it away from us.” “It is something that is not paid for with money, but with effort. We have achieved a lot of success over the years and it was deserved, and I am happy to have lived through one of the best eras of English football.”

(Why did he reject Real Madrid's offer)

Rodri spoke frankly about how seriously he took Real Madrid's interest in signing him this summer. Speaking to Spanish sports radio “Cobe”, he pointed out that the club acted with high professionalism, and expressed a real interest in including him from the first moment of contact with him. He spoke to many people in and around the club, and admitted that the amicable nature of those conversations made his final decision more difficult.

The Portuguese Jose Mourinho, the new coach of Real Madrid, presented his football vision clearly, explaining what he expected from Rodri personally, and the player admired this style.

In the corridors of Real Madrid, the conviction is not limited to the fact that Rodri is the player that the team and the coach need, as many club officials still see in him the pillar that the squad is currently missing. He is a midfielder capable of controlling the tempo of the game in a way that no other player in the current squad of the Royal Club can match.

Mourinho's tireless efforts to include him reflected a firm conviction in the necessity of Rodri's presence. Real Madrid did not sign a replacement who would offer what this player would have given him, which means that the void that the Spanish midfield star would have filled still exists.

Rodri's reasons for rejecting that interest were primarily football related, not personal reasons. His decision was based on where he could develop and contribute the most, a project built around a squad full of young players, many of whom he already knew from the Spanish national team, and which suited the way he understood the game.

It was a decision based on which team needed what he had to offer, and where he could make the biggest difference.

(In addition to what Barcelona was missing)

Rodri is considered a football encyclopedia, and many consider him the best defensive midfielder in the world currently. In fact, there are not many players better than Rodri when it comes to positioning on the pitch, and he is ranked among the best of all time thanks to his individual performance and ability to bring out the best in his teammates.

When not in possession of the ball, whether when pressing the opponent or retreating backwards, Rodri gives his defense line a feeling of security, especially in the moments when Barcelona loses the ball.

But he also shines when he has the ball at his feet; He distributes them quickly and always chooses the right path, which are traits that can be clearly observed in every match Barcelona plays.

His inclusion at the club has been described as one of the most important developments in recent years, both on and off the pitch, as he has featured in all but one of Barcelona's matches during the team's perfect start to the season.

For a squad that lost many veteran leadership elements in recent seasons, Rodri’s experience in dealing with high-pressure moments added a state of stability that the team had previously lacked. He has taken on an informal role mentoring graduates of the club's youth academy, and many of them have come to regard him as an authority. He is keen on explaining and clarifying rather than just demonstrating practicality, an innate trait that surprised the technical staff as much as his football performance impressed them.

Although he does not wear the leadership armband, and perhaps he will not wear it in the near future, many inside the Barcelona locker room talk about him as the team’s leader in everything except the official title.

German coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona's coach, explained from the first day of Rodri's arrival that Barcelona not only signed a midfielder of a type that the team lacked, but also included a reference element for a team going through a rebuilding phase.

His partnership with Pedri has emerged as one of the most positive and promising indicators, especially since it was initially doubted. The two players have a natural chemistry, sharing the tempo and sharing the responsibility of turning the ball; Flick believes that they are able to control the course of the matches thanks to correct positioning, possession of the ball, and reading the game, and not relying on pure physical abilities. When Rodri was asked about the comparison between Flick and Guardiola, his response was categorical, saying that there were no similarities between them.

He talked about coming to Barcelona, ​​expecting to participate in ball possession exercises and “rondo” (the game of passing in tight spaces), only to be surprised instead by days of grueling physical training in the gym.

Guardiola relied on competition to prepare players for matches, while Flick took a different approach with players who joined the team late in the pre-season, subjecting them to intensive training from the beginning.

As expected given his career and personality, Rodri has adapted to this situation rather than resisting it.