Johan Cruyff used to say that players who doubted were not fit for Barça. Rodri Hernández never doubted, even though the Madrid-born midfielder was also wanted by Real Madrid. But the international midfielder was clear as soon as Barcelona came into the picture. “It’s true that there were other possibilities, as you say – he argued without mentioning the Whites – but Barcelona was always my first choice. It has always been a reference for me because of its style of play and the values it represents,” he assured in his debut. “I keep the reasons for my decision to myself, but I have always been driven by sporting arguments,” Rodri defended his choice, very grateful to Manchester City but excited about Barça’s project: “It’s a team that is growing a lot. They have won two consecutive leagues with all the difficulty that entails and in Europe they were one step away from the Champions League. One of the reasons for coming here is not only the present but the projection of the project,” he proclaimed.
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The best player of the last World Cup is already a Barcelona player. A month after the New York final, Rodri arrived on Monday, signed yesterday, and will step onto the Spotify Camp Nou today as a new Barcelona footballer in the Joan Gamper trophy. The 30-year-old midfielder will wear blaugrana for the next four seasons, until 2030, but he will not play this evening against Egyptian Al Ahly as he has not yet trained with his new team.
The deal was closed at 60 million fixed plus 15 in variables, of which ten are for probable objectives. He is the fifth new face in Hansi Flick’s third project after the arrivals of Gordon, Adeyemi, Bisiwu, and the purchase of Hamza Abdelkarim after being on loan last half of last season. Cancelo, who has parted ways with Al Hilal, will be the sixth.
The new signing is not a stranger in the locker room where he has good friends from the Spanish national team. With Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí, Olmo, Pedri, Eric Garcia, Gavi, and Joan Garcia he won the World Cup. “I was with them for almost two months; it was a warm welcome,” he acknowledged. But he had also coincided in the red jersey with Balde, Fermín, or even the young Marc Bernal, a player who plays in his same position and who will now be able to have him very close day to day.
Adaptation, in that sense, should not be a big problem for the organizer, with a style very similar to Sergio Busquets, and for whom Barça accelerated once De Jong’s injury from the World Cup was known.
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He briefly met Flick in the morning at the training ground when the player went for the medical check and ran into the German coach, who had just finished leading the training. But he already knows what the coach wants from him. “He conveyed his enthusiasm to me. He is a coach with a bold idea that attracts me a lot at this moment in my career. I think he can complete me to the fullest. He is very transparent in telling you what he wants from you, that with the experience and learning I have I can infect my teammates,” he revealed.
Afterwards, the international midfielder went to the offices to sign, a little before 2 p.m., his contract. There, in the offices, he met with president Joan Laporta, who publicly reappeared after overcoming the cardiac arrhythmia he suffered at the end of July. As a welcome, the president also wanted to accompany Rodri to lunch to celebrate the signing.
On April 6, 2019, the midfielder last played at Camp Nou. At that time he did so as an Atlético de Madrid player. The blaugrana won 2-0 with goals from Luis Suárez and Messi. Barça’s midfield was formed by Busquets, Rakitic, and Arthur. Seven years later, the stadium will be his home. “We have a spectacular midfield,” he praised his teammates in the middle, although he did not want to comment on Julián Álvarez’s future.
Rodri lacks nothing in his career after 13 titles with City in seven seasons, including four Premier Leagues and a Champions League, and the success of the recent World Cup and the 2024 Euro. That trophy with the national team also earned him the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Established in Europe and with the national team, he now wants to win in the Spanish League with Barça, which will enjoy his interpretation of the game. And he will be able to help Lamine Yamal win the Ballon d’Or. “We don’t know when it will be but we all know that Lamine has that level,” he concluded.
