Rodri Explains Choosing Barcelona Over Real Madrid

Rodri lifts lid on rejecting Real Madrid for Barcelona: “Deco and Hansi convinced me”

Real Madrid thought they had him. Barcelona ended up signing him.

Rodri has now explained why.

The midfielder, speaking to MD about his turbulent summer, admitted that his choice to turn down Real Madrid for Barcelona came down purely to football – where he felt he could grow more and win more.

“The first thing I have to say is that I would have liked it to have been two or three weeks of quiet vacation and they were not at all,” he said, reflecting on a window dominated by his future. “Many things had to be analysed, and such an important decision had to be made with two of the best clubs in the world.”

Real Madrid pushed hard, and for much of the window were viewed as favourites. The player confirmed just how tight the call was.

“In the end I made a decision on the sporting level, so it gave me a little more desire and to understand where I could win and grow more as a player,” he explained. “It was not an easy decision at all, saying no to Madrid is not easy, and above all that, they behaved exemplarily with me. In the end, Deco and Hansi convinced me.”

The pull of Deco’s sporting project and Hansi Flick’s vision for him tipped the scales. Real Madrid lost a battle they thought they were winning, and Barcelona landed a marquee signing from under their nose.

Respect for Mourinho, but a different path

Rodri also detailed his exchanges with Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho, both during the courtship and after he had chosen Barcelona. He kept the content of those talks private, but left no doubt about the respect between them.

“I don't think it's his thing to reveal a private conversation, but he obviously expressed his desire for me to join, and he told me what I could bring to the team. The treatment was very good,” Rodri said.

Once his mind was made up, he made sure to call Mourinho personally.

“When I made the decision, I also called him to thank him for his interest and treatment. I think he's a great coach, he's already shown it wherever he's gone in his great stages and Real Madrid are going to be a tough opponent for this league.”

One point he was keen to shut down: Real Madrid’s decision to boycott his 2024 Ballon d'Or win did not influence his thinking. The move, he insisted, was not about awards or politics, but about where he believed he would develop best.

Now the debate moves from the transfer market to the pitch, where Rodri’s choice between Spain’s two giants will be judged over the coming seasons.