Rodri on rejecting Real Madrid and Mourinho’s words before Barça move

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·15 September 2026

Rodri on rejecting Real Madrid and Mourinho’s words before Barça move

Rodri came very close to wearing the Real Madrid shirt, but ended up choosing Barcelona. The current Ballon d’Or winner revealed new details about that decision and explained how the conversation with José Mourinho went, as the Portuguese coach had personally shown interest in bringing him to the Madrid side.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish midfielder explained that the Portuguese manager directly told him why he wanted him in his project.

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“He expressed his desire for me to join and what I could bring to the team. The treatment was very good.”

Rodri said that, once he had made his decision, he felt it was important to contact Mourinho to thank him for the interest he had shown.

“When I made the decision, I also called him to thank him for the interest and the way he treated me.”

The midfielder did not hide his admiration for the Real Madrid coach.

“I think he’s a fantastic coach, and he has already proven that wherever he has gone.”

Mourinho also praised Rodri

The conversation did not end on bad terms.

For his part, Mourinho publicly acknowledged that Rodri had handled the situation in an exemplary way and avoided any criticism after the player decided to accept Barcelona’s offer.

“He is an extraordinary player and was very respectful with us. Nothing negative to say.”

The Portuguese coach thus made it clear that, despite not securing the signing, there was no conflict with the player.

“Saying no to Madrid is not easy”

Rodri admitted that making the decision to reject Real Madrid was especially difficult.

The Spaniard fully understands the weight the Madrid club carries in his country and admitted that the way the club handled the negotiations made it even harder to say no.

“Saying no to Madrid is not easy; above all, they behaved exemplarily with me.”

In the end, the midfielder opted for Barcelona’s sporting project and ended up being at the center of one of the most striking moves of the transfer window.

His decision also had a special element: the player who had been recognized with the Ballon d’Or ended up choosing the historic great rival of the club that tried to sign him.

A decision without controversy

Despite the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, Rodri and Mourinho managed to maintain a relationship marked by respect.

The player thanked the Madrid side for their interest, personally called the coach to communicate his decision, and Mourinho avoided any public reproach.

Rodri chose Barcelona, but before doing so he made sure to close the door on Real Madrid with respect and gratitude.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.