Barcelona midfielder Rodri has apologized to Valencia's players and fans after leaked video footage showed him making disparaging remarks about the team's performance. The comments were captured by television cameras during Barcelona's 5-0 victory over Valencia last Sunday.
Enhanced audio and lip-reading technology deciphered Rodri describing Valencia as 'really poor' after teammate Pau Cubarsi inquired about the team's quality. Rodri was seen on the bench remarking, "They're poor. They're really poor, eh? Man, they haven't even got over the midfield line in the second half." He had been substituted in the 62nd minute with Barcelona leading 3-0.
Following Barcelona's 5-1 Champions League win against Feyenoord on Wednesday, Rodri addressed the incident, stating he had phoned Valencia's captain, Jose Gaya, to apologize. He also issued a public apology to the club and its supporters.
"In life when you make a mistake, you have to come out and ask for an apology. I'd like to apologize to those who felt offended, to Valencia fans, players, anyone who felt offended by my words," Rodri said. "I had a phone call with my friend and team-mate Jose and asked for forgiveness, I apologised to the whole squad."
Rodri clarified that his remarks were an expression of surprise and not intended to bully or disrespect any team. "At no time did I want to bully or take out of context any bad moment of any team - not at all," he stated. "I'd also like to say it was a private conversation, and I think from there we should all learn a bit more that sometimes things are taken a bit out of context, but at no time did I mean any disrespect and I reiterate my apologies to Valencia Club de Futbol."
Rodri, who joined Barcelona from Manchester City this summer, previously played for Villarreal and Atletico Madrid. He was a key player in Spain's World Cup victory and has enjoyed a successful start to the season with Barcelona, who currently sit atop LaLiga standings.