--- title: "Rodri called Valencia a weak team and was forced to apologize: Carlos Corberan's reaction" description: "After the 5:0 thrashing of Valencia, Barcelona midfielder Rodri called the opponent a weak team and was forced to apologize. Valencia coach Carlos Corberan called the words inappropriate but stated that the club accepted the apology." date: 2026-09-10T16:14:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rodri-apologizes-to-valencia-for-disrespectful-remarks tags: [barcelona, valencia, rodri, la-liga, carlos-corberan, champions-league] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Rodri called Valencia a weak team and was forced to apologize: Carlos Corberan's reaction ![Rodri in a Barcelona kit — the player who called Valencia a weak team and had to apologise to Carlos Corberan](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/10/rodri-izvinilsya-pered-valensiey-za-neuvazhitelnye-slova/rodri-izvinilsya-pered-valensiey-za-neuvazhitelnye-slova-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - On Barcelona's bench during the match against Valencia (5:0), Rodri called the opponent a weak team; the footage was broadcast on air. - The player personally called Valencia captain Gayà and publicly apologized after the Champions League match against Feyenoord. - Valencia coach Carlos Corberan called the words inappropriate but stated that the club accepted the apology as the only correct step. A new scandal has erupted in Spanish football, with Barcelona midfielder Rodri at its center. According to Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan, the Catalan made dismissive remarks about the opponents' players and was subsequently forced to issue an apology. The incident gained widespread attention after footage of the episode was broadcast and widely circulated by the media, while the Valencia manager's stance at the pre-match press conference before the game against Sevilla marked the club's official reaction. ### How it all happened The scandal broke during a La Liga match in which Barcelona recorded a crushing 5:0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Cameras from the El Día program captured the moment when Rodri, sitting on the bench next to Pau Cubarsí, called the home side a "weak and very poor team." These clips triggered a wave of outrage among fans and Valencia representatives, who viewed the remark as a display of disrespect toward the opponent. ### Reaction and apologies Once the incident spilled beyond the pitch, the Catalan player took steps to resolve the situation. According to available reports, Rodri personally called Valencia captain José Luis Gayà by phone and then publicly apologized after the Champions League match against Feyenoord. In his statement, he explained his words as "a simple emotional reaction in a private conversation," emphasizing that he did not intend to offend the opponent. ### Valencia's position At the pre-match press conference before the game against Sevilla, Carlos Corberan gave a clear assessment of the midfielder's behavior. "For me, these are absolutely inappropriate words, as they do not demonstrate respect for fellow professionals. Immediately after the incident, Gayà took the initiative and spoke with Rodri, who then issued a public apology. We accept them and consider this the only correct step in this situation," the Valencia coach stated. The trainer also stressed that high-profile players must remember their influence and authority: "He is a very important player, who is respected at Mestalla for his achievements with the Spain national team. Even in a private conversation, we must remember who we represent." ### Contradictory data Cross-checking the sources revealed a minor discrepancy in the wording of the statement itself. In one article, Rodri's words are quoted as "a weak and very poor team," while in another publication the same remark is cited as "terrible and very weak." The essence of the assessment and the chronology of events (the 5:0 match, Gayà's call, the public apology after the game against Feyenoord) are consistent across all versions; the difference lies only in the exact translation/paraphrasing of the phrase captured by the cameras. The editorial team records both versions without selecting a "canonical" one. ### Context: Champions League start Recall that Barcelona opened their Champions League campaign with a crushing victory over Feyenoord, after which Rodri's public apology was made. Thus, the scandal with Valencia erupted against the backdrop of the Catalans' successful start in the European tournament, which only intensified press attention to every public statement by the team's key midfielder. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Called them weak and was forced to apologize: Barcelona's star newcomer lands in scandal](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/nazvav-slabakami-ta-buv-zmusheniy-vibachatisya-1789056612.html) - Базовый источник: матч 5:0, скамейка рядом с Кубарси, звонок Гайе, публичные извинения после игры с «Фейенордом», цитаты Корберана. - [Valencia accepts Rodri's apology for saying their team is "terrible and very weak"](https://www.championat.ru/football/news-6615612-valensiya-prinyala-izvineniya-rodri-za-slova-chto-ih-komanda-uzhasna-i-ochen-slaba.html) - Подтверждает принятие извинений; формулировка цитаты («ужасна и очень слаба») отличается от версии RBC («слабая и очень бедная»). - [Rodri publicly apologizes to Valencia for disrespectful words about the players and the club](https://www.championat.com/football/news-6614394-rodri-publichno-izvinilsya-pered-valensiej-za-neuvazhitelnye-slova-v-adres-igrokov-i-kluba.html) - Подтверждает факт публичных извинений за неуважительные слова. - [Rodri publicly apologizes to Valencia for his remarks about the club](https://bombardir.ru/news/827211-rodri-publichno-izvinilsya-pered-valensiey-za-svoi-slova-o-klube) - Подтверждает факт публичных извинений за слова о клубе. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did Rodri say about Valencia? **A:** According to footage from the El Día program, while sitting on the bench next to Pau Cubarsí during the Barcelona — Valencia match (5:0), Rodri called the home side a weak team. The exact wording varies across sources ("weak and very poor" / "terrible and very weak"). ### Q: How did Valencia react to the remark? **A:** Valencia captain José Luis Gayà took the initiative and spoke with Rodri, after which the latter publicly apologized. Coach Carlos Corberan called the words inappropriate but stated that the club accepted the apology as the only correct step. ### Q: When did Rodri issue his public apology? **A:** The public apology was made after the Champions League match Barcelona — Feyenoord, where the player explained his words as an emotional reaction in a private conversation.