The student playing in La Liga: Introvert Rodri's unique rise to top
52 minutes ago
While a generation of players build personal brands and chase clicks, the Barcelona and Spain midfielder stays away from social media and avoids the spotlight, talking about tactics the way other players talk about cars.
He is, by his own admission, an introvert who happens to control football games for a living.
The 30-year-old won 12 major trophies with Man City and helped Spain to European Championship and World Cup successes.
On Saturday, he insisted his successes with Man City could not be taken away from them after the club were found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching by the Premier League. City are set to appeal against the ruling.
He also won the Ballon d'Or in 2024 and is in contention to win it for a second time in October, a rare achievement for a holding midfielder.
From a Connecticut summer camp through a Castellon lecture hall to a Champions League final, Rodri has shown the willingness to absorb whatever the environment demands, understand why it is being asked of him - and get on with it.
Understanding his temperament and character is also the starting point for understanding why Barcelona, not Real Madrid, is where his career has turned next after leaving Man City in the summer.
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