‘It is a tournament of moments!’ – Rodri insists Barcelona need solidity over style to conquer Europe
The midfielder’s perspective is shaped by his years under Pep Guardiola, where he famously ended City’s European curse by scoring the winning goal against Inter in the 2023 final. Barcelona remain five-time European champions, but have failed to reach the final since their last triumph in 2014-15, with semi-final runs in 2018-19 and 2024-25 marking their best efforts since. Rodri believes the Catalans possess the raw talent required to compete with the elite, but lack the specific experience needed to navigate the treacherous waters of the knockout rounds.
Speaking on the nature of the competition, he added: ‘Players like me come a little bit for that too, to grow and give the team part that I think is important to win titles as peculiar as the Champions League, because I think that the Champions League is not a tournament of who is the best, it is a tournament of moments and of understanding what those moments are and I think that’s perhaps the margin this team has left. Now, if you ask me if there are any chances, that’s why I came here.’
