Rodri has confirmed Real Madrid’s sustained interest in signing him before his move to Barcelona, insisting that the Spanish giants made a serious effort to land the midfielder. Speaking in an interview with COPE, the Barcelona player revealed that Madrid’s pursuit complicated his decision but that the sporting project at Barça ultimately won him over.
“Madrid showed an interest right from the start; they behaved impeccably, and their offers were aimed at securing the player – I want to make that clear,” Rodri said. “I don’t know what ‘going all out’ means exactly, but it’s clear they were interested and went all out in showing that interest, which I appreciate because I spoke to some of them.”
When pressed on whether he had spoken directly to Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, Rodri declined to confirm but acknowledged conversations with enthusiastic representatives at the club. “Did I speak to Florentino? I’m going to keep that to myself; I spoke to people there who conveyed their enthusiasm and eagerness for me to join them, which made my decision more difficult.”
Despite the pull from Madrid, Rodri chose Barcelona because of his confidence in the club’s current generation and sporting vision. “It wasn’t for a specific moment; it was a sports-related matter. I think this generation of Barça is going to give a lot to talk about,” he said.
Rodri was also asked about the recent Madrid derby, in which Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid amid controversy over refereeing decisions. The midfielder offered a football-focused view, describing Atlético as the better side who deserved the win. “In footballing terms, it was an evenly matched game. I think Atletico Madrid were the better side, more present on the pitch, made better decisions, dictated the game, and I think they fully deserved the win.”
He acknowledged the contentious incidents involving Cristian Romero and Kang-in Lee but did not dwell on them. “Cristian’s challenge is a bit trickier because I’m not sure whether he could have pulled his foot away or not. And perhaps in Kang-in’s case – though I don’t think he did it on purpose – a red card could have been given. Having said that, I prefer to analyse the match from a footballing perspective.”
Rodri also commented on refereeing mistakes over a full season, saying: “I think referees can sometimes make mistakes, but I don’t believe they have a significant impact over the course of a 38-match league season in that regard.”
Turning to Barcelona’s young talents, Rodri backed the club’s belief that 16-year-old Lamine Yamal deserves consideration for the Ballon d’Or. “I think it’s fair for the club to believe he deserves it. I have the feeling that many players deserve it.” He contrasted the current openness of the award with the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in previous years, adding, “I’m a humble guy; I think it’s great that the best in the world are being considered. Now everything is more open than in the Messi and Cristiano era.”
Rodri expressed surprise that neither Raphinha nor Pedri made the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist. “It’s hard to understand how they’re not among the 30. Raphinha is by far the player who’s surprised me the most,” he said.
On his early days under Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, Rodri said the approach is very different to Pep Guardiola’s. “It doesn’t resemble Guardiola in the slightest. The first 4 days they gave me a physical beating that wasn’t normal,” he concluded.
According to Yahoo Sports.
