Rodri has credited Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone with helping him to develop his competitive edge.
Over the last few seasons the Manchester City star has cemented his reputation as one of the greatest midfielders in all of world football.
Since arriving at the Etihad in 2019, Rodri has won four successive Premier League titles, and scored the winning goal against Inter Milan as City became champions of Europe for the first time in their history.
At international level the 28-year-old was an integral component of Luis de la Fuente’s side that triumphed at Euro 2024 this summer, and was named the player of the tournament for his efforts.
However, in a recent editorial Rodri revealed that if not for a brief spell at Atletico Madrid he may never have reached such great heights.
Rodri revealed working under Diego Simeone was transformative in his football development
The Argentinian coach signed a young Rodri from Villarreal in the summer of 2018
Rodri explained Simeone taught him ‘what it means to be the bad guy’ on the pitch
‘When I moved back home to Atlético for one season, I learned what competitiveness really means.’ Rodri told The Players’ Tribune.
‘When I was at Villarreal, I was very good with the ball at my feet, but I was still a bit soft.
‘Under Diego Simeone, I learned what it means to be the bad guy. To be a bit of a b****** on the pitch. To really tackle. To make the other team miserable for 90 minutes. That was another important piece.’
Rodri made 47 appearances in his sole season for Los Colchoneros and was part of the team that defeated rivals Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup and finished second in LaLiga.
His performances attracted the attention of Pep Guardiola, who triggered his £62.6million release clause to bring him to the Premier League.
The Spain international revealed he consulted an international team-mate before making the move and explained that Guardiola has a quality that sets him apart from his contemporaries.
‘When I had the chance to move to City the next summer, it was a dream for me,’ he continued.
‘I had spoken to Sergio Busquets before I agreed to the move, and he told me, “Pep? He is going to make you a better player. But he is never, never, never going to stop pushing you. You will never be finished.”
‘Sergio had the same role with Pep, and he achieved so many great things, so I put a lot of trust in his words. And he was completely right.
The Manchester City star described joining the Premier League side as a dream move
Rodri also hailed Pep Guardiola for his ability to continually evolve to remain at the top
‘To me, the unique thing about Pep is that he is always one step ahead. He is always evolving before the game around him can evolve.
‘He is never satisfied with keeping things exactly as we played last season, because your competition is always going to be analysing last season.
‘You don’t win four Premier League titles in a row by standing still. You either reinvent yourself or you die.’
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