Courtois on Rodri's Choice: A Pity for Him

Thibaut Courtois did not bother with diplomacy.

Asked about Rodri’s decision to turn down Real Madrid and sign for Barcelona, the 34-year-old goalkeeper delivered his verdict with the same cold precision he usually reserves for one-on-ones.

“Every player chooses where they want to be. If he didn't want to be with us, well, that's a pity... for him,” Courtois said after Real Madrid’s dramatic win over Espanyol. “In the end, he's a great player, but he made his choice, and that's it.”

No attempt to soften the blow. No olive branch. Just a clear line drawn between those who choose Madrid and those who walk away.

The backdrop only added to the intrigue. The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner was reportedly staying at the same hotel as the Real Madrid squad in Catalonia on the eve of their clash with Espanyol. A coincidence that instantly set off speculation.

Courtois refused to bite.

“He stays in our hotel? Well, the hotel is big, there will be many people there,” he shrugged, brushing off the storyline with a hint of irony.

Mourinho explains why Rodri slipped away

While Courtois framed it as Rodri’s choice, Jose Mourinho went a step further and opened a small window into the failed transfer.

The new Real Madrid coach confirmed that the club pushed hard, that the interest was real, and that the offer on the table was substantial. What they did not get, he suggested, was conviction from the player.

“I spoke to him a couple of times and Real Madrid made him a very good offer,” Mourinho said. “I think there is a very good relationship with City. Without negotiating with City, the club made contact with Rodri, they made him a major offer. Rodri had doubts, he hesitated and Rodri’s doubts created doubts for me.”

That was the turning point. For Mourinho, hesitation is a red flag, not a phase of reflection. At a club like Madrid, uncertainty from a target can quickly become a deal-breaker.

The message was unmistakable: Real Madrid will not sit around waiting for a player to make up his mind, no matter how decorated he is.

“I am not lacking Rodri”

Questions about whether Madrid are now light in midfield were inevitable. Mourinho cut them off with characteristic bluntness.

“I am not lacking Rodri,” he stated when pressed on his squad options. “We are not lacking players. I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is open, but if you ask me directly if it’s closed for me… yes. It is closed. I really like the squad.”

No sense of regret. No hint of scrambling for alternatives. Publicly at least, Mourinho is backing the players already in the dressing room and drawing a hard line under the Rodri saga.

Rodri chose Barcelona. Courtois says that’s “a pity… for him.” Mourinho says Madrid have moved on.

The season will decide who was right.