On the eve of the upcoming Europa League final at 3:00 a.m. Beijing time on July 15, Spain's midfielder Rodrigo accepted an exclusive interview with As newspaper. In the interview, he shared his expectations for the final, the team's progress and his views on topics such as the Golden Ball Award.
The anticipation of the finals and the growth of the team
Rodri began by reviewing the Spanish team's journey through the Euros, emphasizing the team's growth and unity in the face of adversity. He mentioned that the team went through critical moments when facing strong teams such as Georgia, Germany and France, but the team managed to turn the situation around and become stronger with calmness and persistence. According to Rodney, these experiences are invaluable to the team, and they have taught the team how to persevere in adversity and how to remain calm and focused at critical moments.
Golden Globe Awards and Individual Honors
When asked if he thought he would be the only Spaniard on this year's Ballon d'Or list, Rodri showed humility and pragmatism. He said that he is more concerned with collective honors than individual ones, and that he believes that winning the Europa League is more important than any individual award. Rodriguez emphasized that he wants to be judged by others on whether he deserves to win individual honors, while his own goal is to help the team win more victories.
A turning point for the ECU
Rodri also talked about the importance of the UEFA Nations League for the Spanish team. He believes that winning the UEFA Nations League has not only brought confidence and belief to the team, but more importantly has taught the team how to persevere and strive for improvement in difficult situations. Rodri said that the team has built a solid foundation and will continue to show maturity and ambition in future matches.
Future Prospects and Team Impressions
For the future, Rodney is keeping a clear head. He believes that although the team has already beaten three World Cup winning teams and is about to face a fourth - England - it does not mean that they have the absolute strength to compete for the World Cup title. Rodney emphasized that the team needs to take things one step at a time, focus on the game at hand and try to make history. At the same time, he also said that the current Spanish team is writing its own story, and they want to be remembered and return to the pinnacle of soccer history.
Running and Sacrificing
As a defensive midfielder, Rodney runs close to 12 kilometers per game. He admits that this is the way he understands soccer and the key to winning games. Rhodri says that it is difficult to succeed in a game without running and working to the limit. He is willing to make sacrifices for his team to win and believes that this is the main responsibility of a defensive midfielder.
Preparation for the finals
For the upcoming final, Rodney says he is ready. He knows he will need to run 12 kilometers or more again, but he believes that is the recipe for success. Rhodri said that if he wants to win, he has to run more and work harder on defense and offense than his opponents. He is looking forward to showing his best in the final and helping his team make history.
