Rodri Opens Up on Real Madrid's Interest Before Barcelona Move

World champion Rodrigo Hernandez recently spoke in an interview on El Partidazo de Cope. In it, he again touched on the topic that involved him throughout the summer after the World Cup. Real Madrid fans loudly called for his signing after the player's comments, which clearly signaled his desire to play for the fifteen-time European champions.

"From my position, I have to say that Madrid showed interest from the first moment, that they had exemplary behavior, and that the proposals were about going for the player, which I also want to make clear," Rodri said.

Later, he was questioned about whether, in his opinion, Real Madrid had made great efforts to sign him or not really, to which the player said: "I do not know what going 100% is, but it is clear that they had the interest and they went with everything a little of what they had and showing the interest, which I appreciate, because I spoke with part of them and that is it."

The midfielder did not want to clarify whether, during these negotiations, he had direct contact with Florentino Perez or not; he simply said: "I spoke with people from there, who conveyed to me the enthusiasm, the desire they had for me to go there, and that also made my decision more complicated; it is clear. With Mourinho, the treatment was very good. He conveyed to me his desire, his idea of the game, what I could contribute to them, what he wanted from me, and it attracted me a lot."

Finally, he was not afraid to talk about the trending topic: the refereeing controversy in last Sunday's Madrid derby. "At a football level, it was an even match. Atletico was better, carried the weight of the match, made better decisions, and I think it was fairly deserving of the victory. Then some actions could have been taken differently. None of us denies that. The one by Cuti Romero is more difficult, but maybe the one by Kang-in, who I think does not do it on purpose, yes, I think the red card could be given," he concluded.

Rodri, who seemed to be arriving at Real Madrid without setbacks, finally opted to go to the archrival: Barcelona. Something that hurt quite a bit in Madridismo, since he is an excellent midfielder, winner of the World Cup, Euro, Champions League, Premier League, etc. In addition, being the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. Many doubted him at the start of this year because he was coming back from a very serious knee injury, with some relapses.

But during the World Cup tournament, he shone again like three years ago, when he had his best season, which led him to win the best individual trophy for a footballer. A level he has maintained during the eight matches so far this season.

Many thought he chose Barça for economic reasons, but he mentions: "My decision was for a more football-related reason: where I could grow and contribute more, lead a team full of young players, and play the way I understand the game. There were no sentimental or money issues."

Be that as it may, it is clear that the merengues let a quite big fish escape, and the worst of all is that he had publicly declared his desire to wear white. But oh well, things happen for a reason.