Rodri apologizes after hot mic catches him criticizing Valencia

A camera that wasn't properly switched off and a conversation everyone thought was private ended up costing Rodri an afternoon of explanations. The Barcelona defender had to come out and apologize publicly after footage from Movistar Plus's El Dia Despues showed him speaking candidly about Valencia's current form, with comments like "they're so bad" and "they're really weak."

The Madrid-born player didn't wait for the controversy to snowball. He used the press conference following Barcelona's win over Feyenoord at Camp Nou, in the opening matchday of the Champions League league phase, to address it head on.

Given the controversy that's come up over the video from the other day, in this life when someone makes a mistake you have to come out and apologize, and that's the case here.Rodri

The center back didn't stop there. He went further, making clear his words carried no intention of mockery toward a rival that, as he himself acknowledged, is going through a difficult stretch but doesn't deserve that kind of comment taken out of context.

I'd like to apologize to anyone who may have felt offended: Valencia supporters, fans, players, anyone who felt offended. I already had an appropriate call with my friend Jose Gaya, to him and to the whole squad. I want to make clear it was an expression of surprise, and anyone who watches the video can see that. At no point did I mean to mock or take out of context any team's rough patch, quite the opposite.Rodri

That's where the detail comes in that explains much of the gesture: the call to Jose Gaya, Valencia's captain and Rodri's personal friend within the Spanish national team locker room. He's no ordinary rival to Rodri, and that weighed heavily in the decision to speak up as soon as possible.

A gesture toward a historic rival

Rodri went beyond a routine apology and wanted to give credit to the Che, currently far from their best years in the standings. He said he hopes Valencia "gets back to the place it deserves," stressing that it is "one of the best clubs in this league," a way of easing the tension around the episode and acknowledging the historic weight of the Valencia institution in Spanish soccer.

Before wrapping up the topic, he emphasized the context in which those comments were made, something he considered key to understanding what happened.

I'd like to say it was a private conversation. Things can get taken out of context, but at no point did I mean to show any disrespect.Rodri

The controversy arrived in the very week when attention was supposed to be on the Champions League and Barcelona's debut in the tournament's league phase. In the end, it shared the spotlight with comments that, according to the player himself, were never meant to see the light of day.