Gaizka Mendieta has made an intriguing claim about one Manchester City player after Spain beat England 2-1 to win Euro 2024.
Rodri was all smiles after the contest but his teammates at the Etihad Stadium, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker looked visibly distraught after Sunday night’s result.
The £62.5 million man joined David Silva to become the second Spaniard to lift the European Championship trophy while being a City player.
Having won the Premier League in May for the fourth season in a row, Rodri’s CV was further boosted this year as he won Euro 2024.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Gaizka Mendieta hails Rodri after Spain beat England 2-1 in Euro 2024 final
The 28-year-old — described as an “amazing player” by Owen Hargreaves — would have been over the moon to see how Spain fared against England despite his injury-enforced substitution at half-time.
If Manchester City were to have lost Rodri at half-time due to an injury, they would have seemed increasingly likely to end up on the losing side in a major final.
But it seemed like it was written in the stars for Luis de la Fuente’s side to reign supreme in Germany.
However, the Spaniards’ excellent showing in the second-half does not eradicate how important the four-time Premier League winner has been for them at the tournament.
Gaizka Mendieta briefly suggested that Rodri was the main man of this Spain side, who defeated England to become the champions of Euro 2024.
The pundit told ITV (14/07/2024, 10:40 pm): “Yeah, I think he was key. He allowed the wingers, the full-backs, allowed the whole team to kind of articulate perfectly.”
Rodri plays an understated role for any team he plays for
At both Spain and Manchester City, it is unsurprising that brilliant attacking players like Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland steal the limelight away from a holding midfielder like Rodri.
The former Atletico Madrid maestro goes about his business quietly and like any number six, his job is to do the dirty work.
While the decorated midfielder is praised for scoring important goals for both club and country, aspects such as how he conducts games and sweeps away danger often do not grab the headlines.
However, as Gaizka Mendieta claimed, Rodri gave Spain a case in the middle of the park for their electric wingers and adventurous full-backs to bomb forward and moreover, he gave the team the license to express themselves.
While this crucial feature of the ex-Villareal technician’s game may not catch the eye, it is ultimately the reason why not just the Spanish side but Manchester City are also able to execute their brand of football against any and every team in the world.
Rodri’s role is understated but its importance for any team plays for can never be overestimated.
