Rodri Hernández (Madrid, 1996) faces his arrival at Barça as a change of cycle and, at the same time, as a new challenge in his career. After conquering everything with Manchester City and winning the World Cup with Spain, the midfielder chose Barcelona convinced by a sporting project that, he assures, has “the makings to be one of the best clubs in the world.” At 30 years old, he arrives at the blaugrana locker room with a clear objective: to improve, help his teammates, win again, and pursue a Champions League that the club has not lifted in 11 years. This is a preview of the midfielder’s interview with La Vanguardia.
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When did you realize your time at Manchester City was over?
Good question. I always thought I was going to finish my career there because it’s a place that has given me everything, where I was happy, where I lived, I believe, with one of the best generations in the history of English football, with the coach we had, with the generation we had. So, in the end, I never thought about leaving because of how things were there, how I was treated, and everything. But it’s true that I did understand it was a change of cycle for the club. Many new players come in, a new generation, and I understood that there was a possibility I could finish there. After the World Cup, you do reflect and come to the conclusion that maybe another experience is better. And well, Barça was my choice.
It seems that after winning everything, you needed to start over?
I needed new challenges, new concerns. To understand that you have already done everything in one place and that you want to keep doing great things somewhere else, where there are very important foundations to be able to do so. And I have always, my decisions, people who know me know this, have always been linked to the sporting project and the ambition to keep winning. And for me, Barcelona represents that right now. It has the makings to be, for the coming years, one of the best clubs in the world.
I chose Barça because it has the makings to be, over the next few years, one of the best clubs in the world”
Rodri Hernández
FC Barcelona Footballer
Before arriving, you had already become an idol for Barça fans by saying no to Real Madrid. Also, it became public. Was it an easy decision?
It’s never an easy decision, obviously, to choose between great clubs. But for me, a difficult decision was understanding that my time in Manchester was over. Really, saying yes to a club with Barça’s history, with what it means, with what attracted me football-wise, with everything that comes with joining this club, was not a difficult decision. I was clear about it and I’m very happy with how things turned out.
You are in a locker room with very young people. Do you still avoid social media?
Yes, I really do. At 30 years old, I’m not going to change now. And also, I think I confirm it more and more. It’s a tool I have never needed in my life. Fortunately, I have always surrounded myself with good people, I don’t need anything else. And I understand that social media has many good things, but I also think it has negative aspects, but it’s simply a decision, I think a very mature one, that I made very young and that has helped me a lot in my career. If you ask me why, the answer is: I don’t need them.
At 30 years old, I’m not going to change now. And also, I think I confirm it more and more: I don’t need social media”
Rodri Hernández
FC Barcelona Player
Your parents emphasized a lot that you should study…
I think that defines you. Also, when I sometimes talk to young kids who are starting out, or maybe not in professional football, but in lower stages, I have always recommended studying, not so much for the knowledge you acquire, which is also important, but because what helped me a lot was to escape a bit from the day-to-day pressure of being a footballer, which also has a certain saturation. And it helped me a bit to land in real life, to share moments with classmates, in high school, at university. And to have conversations with kids your age, not about money, not about those kinds of things that we all know can happen in football, it helped me a lot.
Studying a degree helped me a lot to escape a bit from the day-to-day pressure of being a footballer and to land in real life”
Rodri Hernández
FC Barcelona Player
And have you found La Liga very changed? You’ve already seen there are cameras everywhere…
That’s one of the things that perhaps put me off the most about returning to Spain. I think in that regard we have a lot to admire from other countries like England, which focus only on football and live football 100%, both the people who comment and the people who do analysis. Spain is different in that sense. I have learned the lesson, that’s clear.
I have learned the lesson. We have a lot to admire from other countries like England, which focus only on football”
Rodri Hernández
FC Barcelona Player
Let’s talk about Lamine Yamal. You’ve known him for a while, but now, how do you see him?
There are many ways to be leaders. I have known many examples: some lead with words, others lead by example, others lead through their actions on the field. I think Lamine is a guy with an overwhelming personality, with brutal confidence, and who leads through his football, through his boldness, through what he projects on the pitch. He is 19 years old and there are other parts of leadership that I’m sure he will learn and see in other players, and that he will be able to learn, as I did in my day, from players like Ramos, Busquets, and others who I thought were good captains or good leaders.
Lamine is a guy with an overwhelming personality, with brutal confidence, and who leads through his football”
Rodri Hernández
FC Barcelona Player
Both are nominated for the next Ballon d’Or. Do you understand that the club chooses Lamine?
Yes. Well, in the end, I have always said: I have always played and competed to win titles collectively. I think individual titles don’t depend on you, they depend on the decision, in this case, of 100 journalists. And not much more to say. The club has chosen Lamine because they understand he is the player who deserves it the most and that is totally legitimate. From there, I would like a Spaniard to win it. I think we have to recognize Spanish football again because winning the World Cup is the greatest thing there is. And not only that, but the way it was done, right? I think that also speaks very well.
The club has chosen Lamine because they understand he is the player who deserves it the most and that is totally legitimate. From there, I would like a Spaniard to win it, winning the World Cup is the greatest thing there is”
Rodri Hernández
FC Barcelona Player
You have won the World Cup and you are also the only one who has won a Champions League. What do you notice in the locker room? Do you feel there is a special desire for the competition?
Yes, there is. Obviously, outwardly, all important competitions are important, and Hansi makes sure to emphasize that a lot. But it is undeniable that the Champions League is the trophy this club has been aspiring to for a long time. In recent years it has been close and we understand that we have that little step left to be able to get it. We have the potential to do it, I have no doubt. From there, I think we must be smart, know that we are not the favorites to win it. It’s been 11 years since this club won it and we have to go with the same feeling we had with the national team. We have done nothing, we are going to keep building and we are going to show the world that we can do it. That’s a bit the motto: don’t believe anything and go for it.
