Barcelona’s autumn will accelerate sharply after the international break, with a Champions League meeting against Paris Saint-Germain on 20 October followed five days later by Rodri’s first Clasico against Real Madrid. Given a choice between the two occasions, the Spain midfielder has picked the visit of the European champions.
Rodri, who joined Barcelona after seven seasons under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, said both fixtures will bring unfamiliar territory. He has yet to play a major European night for Barça or face Real Madrid in a Clasico.
“Everything is new for me,” he said. “A big Champions League match with Barcelona and a Clasico are both firsts. Both will be special.”
Pressed to separate them, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner chose PSG. “You play the European champions, the best team of recent years, then Real Madrid in a Clasico. I choose Paris. They are the best team at the moment.”
Rodri backs a Spanish Ballon d’Or winner
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on 26 October, and Rodri confirmed that he will attend regardless of the result. He is among six Spanish nominees, alongside Lamine Yamal, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella.
The 70-cap Spain international, voted the outstanding player at Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup, believes every Spanish candidate has a case. His preference is simply to see the award remain with a compatriot.
“From the bottom of my heart, I hope a Spaniard wins,” Rodri said. “Fabian has won the most trophies, Cubarsi for what he is doing at 19, Ferran scored the decisive goal in the final, I was World Cup MVP, and Lamine is spectacular.”
He declined to name a single favourite from the group.
Flick’s methods surprised the former City midfielder
Rodri also rejected comparisons between Hansi Flick and Guardiola, despite Barcelona’s aggressive and dominant attacking football under the German coach.
Having spent seven years working with Guardiola in Manchester, Rodri expected Barcelona training to be built around possession exercises and rondos. Instead, Flick’s opening sessions delivered a physical shock.
“They are nothing alike,” he said. “When I arrived, I thought it would be possession football and rondos. But after the first four days, they gave us a physical workload that was not normal. I wondered what I had got myself into.”
Rodri described intense conditioning sessions followed by weight work, a contrast with Guardiola’s approach. Under the Catalan coach, he said, competitive matches were more central to building match rhythm.
Why Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the transfer race
Real Madrid showed serious interest in Rodri during the summer. The former Atlético Madrid player, who represented the club in 2018-19, said Madrid acted correctly from the start and that José Mourinho made clear how keen he was on the move.
“It appealed to me greatly,” Rodri said of the contact from Madrid.
But the midfielder ultimately chose Barcelona for sporting reasons. He felt the Catalan club would offer greater scope to improve, make a larger contribution and help guide a squad packed with young talent.
Barcelona’s playing style was also decisive. Rodri said it was a system he understood, and that sporting project tipped the balance between Spain’s two biggest clubs.
