Rodri revealed details of his conversation with Mourinho: 'He expressed his desire for me to join the club'

Spain midfielder and reigning World Cup champion Rodri Gerard Martinez has spoken publicly for the first time about the contents of a private conversation with Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho, which took place shortly before the Spaniard finally decided on his new club. According to the midfielder, the Portuguese manager personally tried to persuade him to choose the capital club, but Rodri has kept the confidentiality of that conversation and declined to reveal all the details. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing Fabrizio Romano's post on the social network X.

'The attitude was very good'

'I don't think it's right to disclose the contents of a private conversation, but he expressed his desire for me to join the club and told me what I could bring to the team. The attitude was very good. When I made my decision, I also called him to thank him for the interest and the way he treated me,' Rodri is quoted by Sport RBC.UA. Thus, the Spaniard confirmed that the contact with Mourinho was a two-way process: the Portuguese did not limit himself to a formal offer, but tried to argue his case, explaining what role Rodri could play in his tactical setup. At the same time, the midfielder emphasised that after deciding to move to Barcelona, he personally called Mourinho to express his gratitude for the interest shown — a gesture that is regarded in football circles as a sign of high professional etiquette.

Why Barcelona and not Real Madrid

Rodri officially joined the Catalan club in August 2026, signing a long-term contract running until the summer of 2030. According to unofficial reports, the transfer fee was around 60 million euros plus 15 million in bonuses tied to certain conditions. The player himself previously cited the sporting and personal aspects of the project as the main reason for choosing Barcelona, although he preferred not to publicly reveal the full extent of his motivation. It is worth noting that Real Madrid's interest in Rodri was no coincidence: Mourinho, who took charge of the Madrid club, viewed the Spaniard as a key reinforcement for the central zone, capable of providing ball control and defence at the highest level.

Early start in the blaugrana: five matches, five wins

In Barcelona's colours, Rodri has already played five matches, spending a total of 288 minutes on the pitch. The midfielder has not yet been involved in any goals — neither scoring nor providing assists — but his team's results are impressive: Barcelona won every match in which he was involved. For a midfielder whose main role is linked to organising play and defensive duties, a lack of goal involvements at the start is not a critical indicator, whereas the team's unbeaten run when he is on the pitch serves as an indicator that his presence in the squad stabilises the blaugrana's play.

La Liga context: Barcelona lead

At the current moment, the Catalans are top of the La Liga table with 15 points, ahead of Real Madrid, who are in second place with 12 points. Thus, Rodri's transfer is already having a noticeable impact on the balance of power in the Spanish championship: Barcelona not only maintain their lead but also display an effective style of play in which the new midfielder plays an important, though not always visible to the wider public, role. The three-point gap between the two main title contenders makes each subsequent round decisive, and the presence of a player of Rodri's calibre in the league leader's squad further strengthens their position in the title race.

Contradictory data

There are a number of nuances that require clarification. First, the transfer fee for Rodri — around 60 million euros plus 15 million in bonuses — appears exclusively in unofficial sources; neither Barcelona nor the player's previous club have published confirmed figures, so the exact financial size of the deal remains a matter of speculation. Second, in various publications (championat.com, sports.ru, ua-football.com) the emphasis in presenting information about the conversation with Mourinho differs somewhat: some highlight the fact of the call itself and the polite refusal, others — the details of the Portuguese's argumentation. At the same time, the essence of Rodri's message is consistent across all versions: the conversation took place, Mourinho expressed interest, and the decision was made in favour of Barcelona. In addition, the materials mention a scandal linked to Rodri's move to Barcelona, however the specific details of the incident are not disclosed in the provided sources, which makes it impossible to cover it fully in this article.