‘Dart’ from Rodri to Real Madrid

Rodri He said he is not bitter at the loss real Madrid at the ceremony that appointed him as the winner of Ballon d’Orahead of Vinicius, but considering that in the same way you have to know how to win, you also have to know how to lose. In an interview published this Saturday by ‘France Football’, the magazine that created this award that recognizes the best player, he admits that he prefers that everyone is there, referring to Real Madrid, which has nothing to realize they that Vinicius was going. not the winner, as Jude Bellingham or Dani Carvajal, who finished third and fourth, did not attend.

“I have to respect everyone’s decision. Although I wouldn’t have acted the same way. But they do what they want.” Manchester City’s Spanish defender made sure he did not hesitate when it came to attending the ceremony in Paris on October 28 without knowing he would win the Ballon d’Or: “When your value is recognized at such a high level, it’s okay just go, whether you are the final winner or not.”

In fact, he remembers that last year he was also there even though Erling Haaland was in the favorite position and he wanted to be there “to support him in that moment that was unique. You have to know how to win, but knowing how is also important defeat.” In this year’s case, with the injury he sustained forcing him to use crutches, participating in that ceremony was also a “breath of oxygen” for him.

He was not told ahead of time that he would win.

Rodri said that he was not notified in advance that he would win and was surprised when everyone asked him if he knew in advance. “No one told me anything before the ceremony. I knew that was going to be the rule this year,” he said before stressing that he found this approach “great.”

He pointed out that when he was about to board the plane to Paris on the same day of the ceremony, he received messages from friends who told him that Real Madrid would not be at the ceremony and his first reaction was that he did not believe it. . Upon landing in Paris, he received congratulatory messages and then began to think that things were going in the right direction: “I got on the plane just to participate in the ceremony and I got almost to the winner’s position.”

He believes that Iniesta is the best Spaniard in history

Upon learning the jury’s verdict, he received hundreds of congratulations and the first person he responded to was Andrés Iniesta, whom he considered “the best Spanish player of all time, who deserves the Ballon d’Or” ( he was second in 2010 and third in 2012).

When asked what made him so special to win this distinction, Rodri pointed out that in reality he is not the fastest, nor does he have the best pass in the world, but he is “special in his understanding in the game.” “I continue to understand where I can be the best and where I can contribute more to my team. I know when I should push my teammates, when I should, on the contrary, go back, when to accelerate and when to brake, stop the bad action, take the foul at the right time.”

“And above all,” he added, “my strength is my consistency” which is “the most difficult thing in football. That’s why I consider Messi and Cristiano the greatest, because no one has had the excellence that after the match for fifteen No one at my level, this requirement allowed me, for example, to go 73 games without losing.”

Regarding what he believes can still be improved, Rodri points to “controlling my emotions”, especially when he loses, because he admits that in those moments he can have a bad character and must learn “keep a cool head.”