Barca’s Rodri apologises over Valencia ‘weak’ comments

Barcelona midfielder Rodri has apologized to the entire Valencia squad after television cameras allegedly caught him describing the La Liga strugglers as "very weak". The 30-year-old former Manchester City player reportedly made the comment to Barcelona teammates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha during a bench sit after being substituted during Barcelona's 5-0 La Liga win against Valencia on Sunday.

Valencia finished the match at Mestella Stadium with no wins in their first four matches, leaving them at the bottom of the table. Though the footage lacks audio, broadcaster Movistar claimed a viewer lip-read Rodri saying, "They're really weak. They haven't got past the halfway line." Fans and segments of the Spanish media had accused Rodri of being disrespectful.

In an interview following Barcelona's 5-1 Champions League win against Feyenoord on Wednesday, Rodri stated he had apologized to his friend and Valencia captain Jose Gaya, as well as to the entire Valencia squad. He clarified that his comments were merely an expression of surprise, evident upon watching the video. Rodri emphasized that his intention was never to mock or take a difficult moment for Valencia out of context.

He reiterated his support for Valencia to return to its rightful place in the league, emphasizing that Barcelona hopes Valencia is one of the best clubs in the competition. Rodri also noted that the conversation was private and stressed the importance of not taking statements out of context, adding that his apology was sincere.