Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has revealed that there were moments when he believed Rodri would leave Manchester City and join Real Madrid before eventually completing a move to Barcelona.
Speaking to COPE, De la Fuente explained that his close relationship with Rodri and the midfielder’s camp meant he was aware of how the transfer situation was developing.
“There were moments when I thought that Rodri was going to join Real Madrid. I have a very good relationship with him, so I knew where things were going,”
De la Fuente said.
Softfootball understands that Real Madrid had been widely expected to make a move for Rodri after his impressive return from injury and outstanding performances for Spain. However, Barcelona ultimately secured the midfielder, bringing him back to La Liga.
De la Fuente welcomed Rodri’s return to Spanish football and praised the midfielder’s importance to the national team, while also expressing his happiness that Spanish players are receiving greater recognition at home.
The comments come shortly after another dramatic weekend in La Liga, with Atlético Madrid defeating Real Madrid 2-1 in a fiery Madrid derby.
The turning point came early in the second half when Dean Huijsen was shown a red card after a VAR review for pulling down Giuliano Simeone inside the box. Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty to put Atlético ahead before Jonathan David doubled the advantage.
Real Madrid eventually pulled one back through Antonio Rüdiger in the closing stages, but Atlético held on for all three points.
The derby also generated major discussion over the refereeing decisions, with De la Fuente later acknowledging that officials can make mistakes while defending the overall standard of Spanish refereeing.
