A modest guy without social networks won the Golden Ball: the story of football player Rodri | Football

An atypical story of modern football that gives hope

Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante received the 2024 Ballon d’Or at a ceremony held at the Chatelet Theater in Paris. An achievement with which the Spanish football player wrote an important page in the history of football in this country – he became the second Spaniard to take this award, after Luis Suarez in 1960.

Last season, Rodri won the European Championship, the English Championship and Super Cup, and now the Ballon d’Or.

Ballon d’Or

One of those who most celebrated the success of the Spain and Manchester City international was the coach who gave him his professional debut with Villarreal almost 10 years ago: Marcelino García Toral.

At a press conference that the Villarreal coach gave just on Monday, Marcelino emphasized:

“I was lucky that our paths crossed. I think he debuted with me not because I forced him to do it, but because he already had enough ability to do it, and I am very happy for him.”

Rodri’s path to the top passed through the sieve of the youth teams of Atletico Madrid, until in 2013, a native of the capital of Spain decided that changing clubs was the best option for his career. He moved to Villarreal, where he gradually made his way into the first team, as Marcelino mentioned.

As part of the “yellow submarine”, he became the discovery of La Liga; several clubs wanted him, including the giants. Barcelona was on the verge of signing a contract with Rodrigo, but in 2018 the footballer decided to return home to Atlético.

He spent only one season in Madrid, during which he failed to charm the fans. But he charmed the coach – Simeone did not want to lose the person around whom he planned to build the game. However, Manchester City, which rarely bargains, came, paid a compensation amount of 75 million and the midfielder went to Foggy Albion.

And this is not surprising, because Pep Guardiola wanted Rodri. And Hernandez himself was eager to work with a coach who should make him the best midfielder in the world. And he did – for the last two years, the midfielder has certainly been exactly like that.

The 2022/23 season saw him firmly establish himself as one of the best midfielders on the planet, winning every title with Manchester City, scoring in the Champions League final and adding the Nations League with Spain – the Roja’s first title since 2012 year.

Rodri’s goal in the 2022/2023 Champions League final

AFP

Rodri himself, in his speech after receiving the award, noted that this is not exactly his title:

“I understand that football is a team sport and this award is won thanks to City, the staff, the players. This is all very special for me, without you I could not have done it. Thanks to the national team, Luis de la Fuente for that they trusted me for so long. They did not win it, but they deserved it, like Iniesta, Xavi, Iker, Busi, like many others, for Spanish football and for the figure of a midfielder.”

But if we know almost everything about Rodri the football player; before the cross was broken, we could see him on the field every week, but now we’ll find out what he’s like outside of football.

Firstly, at the age of 28, the Spanish football player, in addition to a successful sports career, is also receiving a university education. He has built a life completely removed from football, forcing him to keep his feet on the ground.

Rodri is the son of Antonio, an engineer, and Elena, a marketing manager. He also has two brothers, Gonzalo and Alvaro. However, the characteristic of the football player that makes him almost an exception among others is that he is very jealous of his private life – the Spaniard does not even have social networks.

They say he doesn’t like making his life public. Although I’m sure it helps to keep my mental health at the proper level. He is known as a football player, and what happens outside the field, even a banal summer vacation, is entirely his personal business. This is the approach.

“Fame doesn’t fill me. I don’t like to be extravagant,” Rodri once said.

Despite always keeping his mind on football, Rodri chose an alternative route to education outside the game – university. We see this more and more often in football – players receive an education and actively develop off the field. Hernandez was no exception.

Getty Images

Rodri always continued to study, even got involved with professionals, and after finishing his bachelor’s degree he went on to a Master’s degree. Already a player in the first team of Villarreal, the native of the capital entered the specialty “Business Administration and Management” at the Jaume I University in Castellon.

“It was a period where he was doing great. He didn’t have to say, ‘Hey, if you don’t try hard in school, it’s going to be difficult in football.'” He was acutely aware that although he wanted to be a football player, he education and training in high school and then at university must continue,” Armando De la Morena told Relay, who coached him for 17 years.

The footballer did not give up his studies even after signing a contract with Manchester City. On the contrary, he completed this process, and his obligations to Josep did not become an obstacle to obtaining a higher education diploma.

His friend Simo talked about this in an interview with the Spanish publication Relevo:

“When he signed for City, he had not yet completed his studies, but he did it remotely and no one knew that sometimes during the week he would get on a plane to Castellon to take an exam and return to Manchester the same day.”

While studying at the university, Rodri received not only an education, but also great love. It was at the residence of Jaume I that he met Laura. The girl also prefers to keep a low profile when it comes to Hernandez, and although she has social media, her accounts are private, so very little is known about their personal life.

<img src="https://static.champion.com.ua/champion/system/MediaPhoto/photo/d/9/176480/d9c91b361f7d557f16c44919954a27b71730186513.jpg?w=1210&q=90" alt="Rodri with Laura at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony” loading=”lazy” width=”1280″ height=”853″/>

Rodri with Laura at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony

Getty Images

“I would like to thank the most important person in my life, Laura. Today (10/28/2024) is our anniversary, eight years, and without you this journey would not be the same as it is now. My family, of course, for all the values ​​that they they gave me because they helped me from the very beginning and take the right steps to become a person who plays football for love,” the futiolist thanked his closest people.

Laura is a doctor by profession and supports her loved one as best she can. It was she who was the first to run onto the Istanbul lawn when Manchester City won the Champions League to congratulate their champion. Interestingly, she still lives between Valencia and England, without moving to Manchester as they say 100%.

By the way, the couple does not exclude the possibility of returning home. Rodri himself does not rule this out, as he said after receiving the Ballon d’Or:

“I’m comfortable in England, I have a contract and I’m going through a good part of my life. I have a lot of time to think now and of course I would love to return to Spain someday. This is my home, so why not play in La Liga.”

Rodri receives the award for the best player of the 2024 European Championship

Getty Images

But while the newly minted holder of the trophy has not returned to Spain, we are recording the interrupted series: for the first time since 2009, the Golden Ball was not awarded to Lionel Messi, nor to a Real Madrid player, although at first everything pointed precisely to the victory of Vinicius Junior.

But this is football. And there are surprises, even in cases such as individual awards.

“Lastly, I’d like to tell an anecdote about the process that brought me here. When I was 17 years old, I packed my bags to go to Villarreal to play in the first division, and I remember one day I said, ‘That’s enough,’ I called my father, crying with the feeling that it was all over, that I had invested my whole life to achieve this, and the dream seemed to be fading, and he told me: “If we got here, we are not going to raise the white banner.”

And from that day on, my mentality changed. I’m a normal guy, with values, who studies, tries to do everything well and doesn’t look at stereotypes outside of football, and such a guy can reach the top thanks to everything,” Rodri finished his speech, and I finish my speech.

Executive editor – Stanislav Lysak