Rodri Explains Choosing Barcelona Over Real Madrid: Deco and Hansi's Influence

Real Madrid thought they had him. All summer, the European champions pushed hard for Rodri, confident the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner would be the next pillar of their midfield. Instead, he walked into Camp Nou and pulled on the Barcelona shirt.

Now, speaking to MD, Rodri has laid out exactly why.

Saying no to Madrid is not easy

The midfielder admitted the transfer saga turned his holidays into anything but a break.

“The first thing I have to say is that I would have liked it to have been two or three weeks of quiet vacation and they were not at all,” he explained. “Many things had to be analysed, and such an important decision had to be made with two of the best clubs in the world.”

Real Madrid pushed, and for much of the window they were considered favourites. Rodri made it clear this was not about emotion or noise around the move, but about his career on the pitch.

“In the end I made a decision on the sporting level, so it gave me a little more desire and to understand where I could win and grow more as a player,” he said. “It was not an easy decision at all, saying no to Madrid is not easy, and above all that, they behaved exemplarily with me. In the end, Deco and Hansi convinced me.”

The pull of Barcelona’s project under Hansi Flick, with Deco driving the operation, tipped the balance.

Mourinho talks and Madrid’s reaction

Rodri also revealed he held direct conversations with Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho, both before and after turning Los Blancos down.

“I don't think it's his thing to reveal a private conversation, but he obviously expressed his desire for me to join, and he told me what I could bring to the team. The treatment was very good,” Rodri said.

He didn’t leave Mourinho hanging. Once his mind was made up, he picked up the phone.

“When I made the decision, I also called him to thank him for his interest and treatment. I think he's a great coach, he's already shown it wherever he's gone in his great stages and Real Madrid are going to be a tough opponent for this league.”

One issue he was keen to shut down: any suggestion that Real Madrid’s decision to boycott his 2024 Ballon d’Or victory influenced his choice. Rodri made it very clear that snub played no part in his thinking.

In the end, it came down to football. Deco and Hansi Flick had the clearer sporting argument — and that was enough to send the Ballon d’Or winner into the heart of Barcelona’s rebuild, and turn him into the face of one of the most bitter transfer stories Spanish football has seen in years.