Rodri admits “very few places” treat players in the way Manchester City take care of stars after Ballon d’Or celebrations | OneFootball

Manchester City take care of their players in a unique manner when compared to other clubs, Rodri has insisted after his Ballon d’Or celebrations last year.

The Spain international made history towards the end of 2024 by becoming the first Manchester City player to ever win football’s greatest individual prize, and also the first defensive midfielder to win the award since Lothar Matthaus in 1990.

That achievement came off the back of a history individual season for Rodri, who was named Player of the Tournament at the UEFA European Championships as part of Spain’s success in the competition hosted by Germany.

Rodri was also an integral member of Manchester City’s Premier League title-winning squad, as Pep Guardiola and his players became the first side in English football history to win the top-flight title in all of the last four seasons.

And the Premier League champions were keen to ensure they recognised the remarkable success of Rodri, by unveiling him and his Ballon d’Or trophy in front of a packed out Etihad Stadium support prior to their Premier League meeting with Tottenham this season.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Spanish newspaper AS, and reflecting on the way in which the Etihad Stadium club recognised his Ballon d’Or success of 2024, Rodri admitted, “It is amazing.

“I was talking about it with (Mateo) Kovacic: he has experienced Ballon d’Or parties in Madrid, but he told me that he had never seen anything like it. Very few places treat players as City do. I will be eternally grateful for what they did.”

The Spain international is currently in the midst of recovery from a long-term double-knee injury, and when asked whether he is concerned about not returning to his levels prior to his absence, Rodri responded, “No, I am not afraid. I know the player I am.”

He continued, “I know that nowadays this kind of injury is not like 30 years ago. Besides, the medical staff have given me infinite peace of mind in that sense, that I shouldn’t worry, that I can come back without anything that will weigh me down.

“But when you are six, seven, eight months away from the field of play, it is not easy to get back on track. Little by little, I guess.”

Rodri currently remains sidelined through a double-knee injury sustained in September during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, and is not expected to play any part in the business end of Manchester City’s season.

However, from the side of the midfielder himself, he has consistently insisted during media interviews that he has every intention to play for Manchester City this season, whether that be during the final games of the Premier League, in cup finals, or at the FIFA Club World Cup.