Real Madrid News
Barcelona’s Rodri addresses Real Madrid summer transfer attempt: ‘I am grateful’
Real Madrid lit up the transfer market this past summer by signing half a dozen players, with headline names such as Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate.
But one name missing from that list was Rodri. The former Manchester City midfielder was destined for a move to Santiago Bernabeu, shortly after a successful World Cup campaign.
However, a late change of heart saw Rodri opted for a move to arch-rival Barcelona – a switch that was always going to create controversy.
Rodri opens up on failed Real Madrid move
One month into the new season, Rodri has now finally opened up about his transfer saga in the summer that involved a tug of war between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The midfielder admitted that Real Madrid were indeed keen on acquiring his services and were ready to throw everything at him.
“Real Madrid really tried hard. They wanted to sign me, we had direct talks and they came with everything they had to make it happen,” he told COPE (h/t Fabrizio Romano).
Of course, it wasn’t enough at the end as Rodri decided to join a Barcelona team, which had a large contingent of Spanish players who had shared the dressing room with him for La Roja.
Rodri, though, remains grateful for Real Madrid’s interest and was professional enough not to spill the beans about his meeting with Florentino Perez.
“They made my decision difficult. I am grateful. Speaking with Florentino Pérez too? I am not gonna say that,” he added.
Real Madrid are ruing missing out on Rodri
Despite the many signings in the summer, Real Madrid missing out on Rodri was a major blow for the club as the real weakness in the team lies in midfield.
While Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham have both performed well, the calmness and stability has been lacking, with both Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga failing to deliver anything meaningful.
The midfield is often slow in transition the ball from defence to midfield, and the team, as a whole, is simply not committing enough, with Real Madrid ranking dead last in La Liga in terms of ground covered.
Having a player like Rodri could have fixed that problem for Jose Mourinho, who now has a fresh problem on his hands, as Valverde has picked up a fresh injury and could be out for a few weeks.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
