Manchester City midfielder Rodri has faced some ups and downs this season.
Last season saw the 28-year-old play a key role in seeing City win their fourth consecutive Premier League title before then helping Spain win the Euros over the summer.
In just his second Premier League appearance of this campaign, Rodri suffered a season-ending injury during City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
On a significantly better note, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or last month, beating Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior to the award.
Following that, a City legend and former teammate of Rodri’s has now shared his verdict on the Spaniard, including his Ballon d’Or win and what makes him such a special player.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Fernandinho congratulates Rodri on Ballon d’Or victory
Speaking to the official Man City website, Fernandinho opened up about Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win.
He said: “I am really proud of him. I saw him growing up, going through the process to become one of the most consistent players in the world, playing for a top team and for his national side.
“It’s really nice when you see someone really close to you winning this award.
“Obviously individually it’s a really nice award but I’m pretty sure he knows he’s got the contribution from the club and every player who helped him achieve that moment.
“Especially with the modern football, most of the people give prizes for the strikers or the players who score goals. But now you can see they are seeing football in a different way. It’s really nice.
When asked what he admires about Rodri as a player, the Brazilian gave this assessment.
“The consistency, his quality with the ball, his understanding of the game, he started to read the game really well, the decisions he makes helps the team to play better, helps the other players to play better as well.
“I used to say when you have the ball you control everything so I think one of his qualities is that when he has the ball he controls everything. He makes the best decisions possible.”
Fernandinho knows all about Rodri
Rodri joined City in 2019, six years after Fernandinho arrived at the Manchester club. Bringing an end to his time with the Blues in 2022, the Brazilian appeared in 71 matches with Rodri across all competitions during their three years together.
This highlights how much knowledge Fernandinho has of Rodri and what he’s capable of.
In fact, as well as Guardiola, the Spaniard likely learned a lot from the former City midfielder during their time together with the Blues.
| Manchester City | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Trophies Won |
| Fernandinho | 383 | 26 | 31 | 12 |
| Rodri | 260 | 26 | 30 | 10 |
Shortly after the announcement, Fernandinho shared a message on social media congratulating Rodri on his Ballon d’Or victory, as did fellow former City star Aymeric Laporte.
Having now had the chance to share his thoughts on the Spain international and his big award, this should further increase Rodri’s status as the best player in the world right now.
Moving forward, while he won’t be able to this season, Rodri will be desperate to get back to full fitness and help City continue to dominate on the pitch while showing how good he is as an individual.
