Barca Rodri apologises after calling Valencia ‘very weak’

Barcelona midfielder Rodri, the 30-year‑old who arrived from Manchester City in a £65m summer move, has apologised to the entire Valencia squad after television footage appeared to show him describing the La Liga side as “very weak”. The comment was captured during Barcelona’s 5‑0 league victory on Sunday.

Rodri’s transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona was highlighted in a Getty Images caption accompanying the image of the player arriving at the club. The picture, labelled “Image source, Getty Images Image caption”, underscored the high‑profile nature of the signing.

Comment caught on camera

According to reports, Rodri made the remark to teammates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha while sitting on the bench after being substituted. Broadcaster Movistar claimed to have lip‑read the 30‑year‑old saying: “They’re really weak. They haven’t got past the halfway line.”

The comment came as Barcelona thrashed Valencia 5‑0 at Mestella Stadium, leaving the hosts bottom of the table with no wins in their first four matches of the League.

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Fans and sections of the Spanish media accused Rodri, a recent World Cup golden‑ball winner, of disrespecting the club. Critics argued that such language was unbecoming of a player of his stature.

Rodri later addressed the issue after Barcelona’s 5‑1 Champions League win over Feyenoord on Wednesday, saying: “I apologised to my friend and colleague José Gaya and to the entire squad as well. It was simply an expression of surprise, not a mockery.”

He added that the exchange was private and urged everyone to learn from the incident, insisting that no disrespect was intended.