Manchester City legend Rodri has responded to his name being brought up during the Real Madrid elections.
Defeated challenger Enrique Riquelme promised to sign the Spanish midfielder during his campaign, even putting the pledge in writing.
The 37-year-old signed a legally binding contract that if Rodri and City teammate Erling Haaland didn’t sign during the 2026/27 season he would cover members’ fees for the year.
Rodri has also been linked to Real under Perez, something he hasn’t played down in the past.
This time, though, he’s suggested Riquelme probably jumped the gun.
“To be honest, I’ve been keeping a bit of a distance,” he told Cadena SER.
“It’s true that things come up, but in the end, I don’t really know where they’re coming from.
“I try to focus on what I have to do now. I understand that it’s part of the game and what we do.
“Every time your name comes up, we accept it as such, but I haven’t thought about it and I’m not making any decisions.”
The Spain captain added: “My focus is on the World Cup. I’m still under contract with my club, where I think we’ve had a good season. That’s my situation right now.
“I’m not thinking about my future at all. The World Cup will be crucial for me, and I’m not thinking about that.
“With the process I’ve gone through all this season and how I’ve prepared myself mentally, it wouldn’t make sense to get distracted by other things .”
What did Riquelme say about Rodri?
After seemingly promising Rodri’s signing, Riquelme went on to clarify himself that a deal hadn’t been made.
“What I’m saying is that if I’m president, a player like Rodri will play for Real Madrid,” he explained.
“He won the Ballon d’Or, he’s from Madrid. I would love to have a player like that at Real Madrid.”
Rodri’s World Cup hopes
Captaining Spain for the World Cup, Rodri had no doubts he’d trade his Ballon d’Or for the trophy.
“I would trade the Ballon d’Or for the second star, without a doubt,” he said.
“For me, winning with your country is the most special thing there is. The European Championship is the most important title I’ve won, and a World Cup is the highest achievement you can aspire to.
“We players play for this. I haven’t thought about lifting the World Cup as captain because there’s still a long way to go. The road is very long, and we’re going to take it one step at a time.”
The 29-year-old also responded to claims Spain are favourites for the tournament.
“There’s nothing wrong with saying it,” he responded. “Labels don’t matter as much to us.
“We’re coming off a European Championship title and have played in several Nations League finals, meaning we’re in good form. That means we’re in good shape, in my opinion, along with Argentina.
“The World Cup is a different story. This is what I’m trying to convey to the group: that everything we’ve done up to now doesn’t matter, and we have to go there with that feeling.
“The easiest thing for a group coming off a win is to relax, and it’s the complete opposite. We have to go there with the humility that we need to take a step forward compared to other World Cups.”
On a personal level, Rodri came off an injury-hit season for City, but feels he’s now rested and in top shape, an advantage to himself and Spain.
“It was the main objective this season because I’ve had two very different years in my career,” he commented.
“You have to adapt to arrive in the best possible condition. For me, this year has been important, to grow with a clear goal in mind, which I couldn’t say at the beginning of the season, but that was the World Cup.
“I’m at the best physical level I’ve been in a long time, and above all, I’ve come here with few matches and a light workload. I’m happy with how I’ve managed the process.
“Arriving at a World Cup relatively fresh isn’t easy. My case is very particular, and you have to be smart to manage the matches. It’s about setting the pace, and the club has been sensational in that regard.
“Many times I’m a bit of a fool and they have to stop me, but I’m happy leading this group full of young players, but with a little more experience.”
Leave a Reply