Rodri Explains Choosing Barcelona Over Real Madrid

Real Madrid thought they had him. All summer, the Bernabeu powerbrokers pushed, called, insisted. Rodri was expected to walk through their doors. Instead, he walked straight into Barcelona’s.

Now, speaking to MD, the midfielder has finally gone into detail on why he turned down one giant for another – and why the choice, in his words, was “purely sporting”.

“It was not a vacation at all”

Rodri admitted the summer that followed his 2024 Ballon d'Or win was anything but restful.

“The first thing I have to say is that I would have liked it to have been two or three weeks of quiet vacation and they were not at all,” he said. “Many things had to be analysed, and such an important decision had to be made with two of the best clubs in the world.”

The tug-of-war was clear: Real Madrid on one side, Barcelona on the other. Madrid were seen as favourites for much of the window, confident that their project and recent dominance would tip the scales. It didn’t.

“In the end I made a decision on the sporting level,” Rodri explained, “so it gave me a little more desire and to understand where I could win and grow more as a player.”

Then came the line that will sting in Madrid.

“It was not an easy decision at all, saying no to Madrid is not easy, and above all that, they behaved exemplarily with me. In the end, Deco and Hansi convinced me.”

The Barcelona sporting director and Hansi Flick, with his vision for the team, managed what Florentino Pérez and company could not: they persuaded the Ballon d'Or winner that his next step should be at Montjuïc, not the Bernabeu.

Respect for Mourinho

One key figure in the story is Jose Mourinho. The Real Madrid head coach spoke directly with Rodri during the process, outlining his plans and the role he saw for him.

“I don't think it's his thing to reveal a private conversation,” Rodri said, careful not to betray confidences. “But he obviously expressed his desire for me to join, and he told me what I could bring to the team. The treatment was very good.”

Rodri didn’t disappear once his decision was made. He picked up the phone.

“When I made the decision, I also called him to thank him for his interest and treatment. I think he's a great coach, he's already shown it wherever he's gone in his great stages and Real Madrid are going to be a tough opponent for this league.”

No Ballon d'Or revenge

One theory had floated around ever since the move was confirmed: that Real Madrid’s decision to boycott his 2024 Ballon d'Or victory had pushed Rodri away from the club.

He shut that down. According to him, that episode played no part in his thinking. The choice, he insisted, came down to football, to where he felt he could “win and grow more as a player”.

In the end, Real Madrid lost out on their top midfield target to their greatest rivals, despite what Rodri calls “exemplary” behaviour from the club and a personal pitch from Mourinho.

Barcelona gained a Ballon d'Or winner in his prime, convinced by Deco and Hansi Flick. Madrid gained a new source of motivation.

They will meet soon enough on the pitch. That’s where this decision will really be judged.