Man City: From ‘disaster’ to ‘winning machine’ – is Rodri the best in the world?

Rodri had big shoes to fill when he joined Manchester City under Fernandinho, regarded by some as the best defensive midfielder ever to play in the Premier League.

Rodri has made the position his own though and now has to be put on a par with the likes of Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele. However, he is passing more in the opposition half, tackling less and scoring more goals in the Champions League final.

But things didn’t go so smoothly at first, according to the Spaniard, who called his first season at the club a “disaster”.

“The holding midfielder is the man on the pitch with the most responsibility,” he recently told BBC Sport in an interview, which you can watch on BBC iPlayer.

“You have to make sure the team is working and that no one is lazy or distracted. If the team is not working, it is partly your fault.

“You are like a coach on the pitch. I am not Pep (Guardiola) on the pitch in that sense, because he thinks too much about the situation. I am simpler.”

But Rodri admits it wasn’t necessarily a given for him when the club signed him from Atletico Madrid for a then club record £62.8million in 2019.

“Maybe when the teams change and go from five to four, I have to say, ‘instead of three at the back, we have to do two and one here.’ That’s something I’ve learned.

“My first year I was a disaster. I was like, ‘I don’t even know what you’re talking about, just let me play football.'”

BBC Radio Manchester City commentator Mike Minay said: “When Rodri was just a substitute in that first season, it was hard to see how he would ever break out of Fernandinho’s shadow and become the standout player he is today.

“But in his second season – a classic symptom of Pep Guardiola players – he became crucial. He made the role his own.

“He was able to break up opposition attacks, deploy Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne in more advanced positions and be the metronome in midfield – never just passing, but there to create space and be available to support others.”

In Europe’s top five leagues, Rodri is the best at passing, successful passes into the opposition half and successful passes that finish in the final third of the pitch – not bad for a defensive midfielder.

In second place on these three lists are Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos and iconic former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain star Lionel Messi.

Do you see the odd one out? Yes, that’s right, it’s Messi – because he wasn’t at Euro 2024 like Rodri, Dunk and Kroos.

Only Arsenal colleague Declan Rice tops Rodri in terms of possession won in major European leagues over that time.

In addition, Rodri scored one of the greatest goals in City’s history: the only goal in the Champions League final victory against Internazionale, securing the treble for the 2022-23 season.

Last season he scored nine goals, the best result of his career, including two crucial goals in the dying minutes of a Premier League match and a goal in the 3-1 win over West Ham.

“I think, given his position, he is one of the best players City has ever played, if not the best,” Minay added.

“He replaced Fernandinho and then some. Yaya Toure, another crucial figure in City’s modern history – but I think Rodri surpasses him too. A real joy to watch, a passionate player and ultimately City’s best.”

Rodri is also a star player for his country and was named best player at Euro 2024. He helped Spain to victory by beating England in the final. However, he was substituted at half-time due to injury.