Just moments after the start of the second half, Rodri came out to warm up and received his first ovation. When he entered the game after the hour mark, Spotify Camp Nou welcomed him with the entire stadium standing. The club’s latest high-profile signing played his first minutes as a Barcelona player in a victory that leaves Barça top of the La Liga table.
Beyond his footballing ability — after being named the best player at the World Cup — both Hansi Flick and Laporta wanted to highlight Rodri’s leadership as one of the main reasons behind his arrival. In his first statements after making his debut, he suggested that he is already taking on that role.
“Lamine has been impressive. We have tried to lift him up, and we have seen his best version, even though he wasn’t able to score. The goals will come because the talent is there,” Rodri said.
His comments come after a few days in which Lamine appeared somewhat down, especially following his substitution at Martínez Valero, where it was clear he was still working his way back to full fitness. Against Athletic, he did not have a consistently outstanding performance, but he still produced moments that could easily have ended in goals, either for himself or through assists.
Rodri, meanwhile, enjoyed his first appearance in a Barcelona shirt. “I’m very happy to have played my first game and pleased with the victory. Two wins from two. It’s important to start building rhythm and adapting to this great team. These were my first minutes and the feelings are positive,” he said.
Rodri is already focused on the next steps: “It has been a long summer, longer than usual. I have to quickly get back up to speed. I have had very few training sessions. These minutes were very important to regain my rhythm. This is the place where I wanted to be. Now it’s time to work.”
The Madrid-born midfielder pointed to the team’s potential. “The best players in the world are here, and you have to be at that level. This team has a lot of room for improvement, and we are going to go for it,” he said.
He also highlighted the different profiles available in Barcelona’s midfield. “The most important thing is that we are all different. We give the coach many different qualities. There is a huge variety that allows us to have a lot of richness in our game,” Rodri concluded.