In an interview with ‘The Players’ Tribune’ Rodri expresses his gratitude towards Pep Guardiola, sharing insight on how he completed him as a player. The Spanish midfielder also spares words for former manager Simeone, indicating his role in shaping the foundations.
Premier League and EURO 2024 champion Rodri sat down for an interview with ‘The Players’ Tribune’ talking about his journey as a footballer from his days with Villareal to his current time in England with Manchester City.
The player particularly highlighted the impact manager Pep Guardiola has had on him, and his role in completing him as a player. “For me, he added that final mental piece of the puzzle. “Seeing” the game in a different way. “Feeling” it — when to move into space, when to hold back. When to press, when to ease off” he says. The midfielder further underlines the coach’s importance in giving him confidence, in that playing alongside the likes of Agüero, David Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne was intimidating at first.
In the interview, he reveals how one of the secrets to Guardiola’s success lies within his ability to evolve and “always be one step ahead”. “He is never satisfied with keeping things exactly as we played last season, because your competition is always going to be analyzing last season. You don’t win four Premier League titles in a row by standing still. You either reinvent yourself or you die” he explains.
Before agreeing the move to Man City, Rodri recalls speaking to Sergio Busquets – also coached by Guardiola during the manager’s four-year spell at Barcelona – and being told: “Pep? He is going to make you a better player. But he is never, never, never going to stop pushing you. You will never be finished.” Rodri admittely held a lot of faith in Busquests’ word, seeing as they assume the same role with Pep.
Words of gratitude are equally spared for his former manager Simeone. Despite his short stay at Atlético, he notes how the Argentinian manager taught him “what it means to be the bad guy. To really tackle. To make the other team miserable for 90 minutes. That was another important piece”.