Rodri is one of the contenders for the Ballon d'Or on Monday, but not everyone appears to be a fan of the Manchester City midfielder. Freddie Ljungberg, for one, would rather be rid of Rodri. "He just goes down too easily."
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Rodri won a penalty during the Manchester Derby. Rasmus Højlund put his arm around the waist of the Spanish international, who eagerly went to the ground. Referee Paul Tierney initially did not see the foul, but eventually placed the ball on the spot following advice from the VAR. Erling Haaland then scored the opening goal.
Ljungberg was irritated by the referee's decision. The Swedish striker, who wore Arsenal's shirt between 1998 and 2007, expressed his disdain for Rodri's play and Spanish football in general on Viaplay. "You can gently touch him with your hand, because he weighs 90 or 95 kilos... But he goes down, you can see that he lets himself fall."
"The penalty made the difference and changed the game," Ljungberg continued. "Maybe that's how it works in Spanish football, but I don’t want Spanish football in the Premier League. That makes me a bit angry. I heard that it was Michael Oliver who was in charge of VAR, so it doesn’t surprise me that the ball ended up on the spot."
City would eventually win 0-3 at Old Trafford. Rodri did not appear in front of the cameras after the match, thereby refraining from comment.
Updated: 03:54, 30 Oct 2023
