Rodri apologises to Valencia after 'very weak' remark on Barcelona bench
Barcelona midfielder Rodri has apologised to the whole Valencia squad after TV cameras captured him describing the struggling side as 'very weak' during the 5-0 win at Mestalla. The Spain international says it was an expression of surprise in a private conversation and insists he never meant to disrespect the club. Valencia sit bottom of LaLiga after four games without a win.
ByInfoBlaugrana
5 min read
Rodri has moved to defuse the controversy. The Barcelona midfielder has apologised to the entire Valencia squad after television cameras caught him describing the struggling side as "very weak" from the bench during Barcelona's 5-0 win at Mestalla on Sunday. The remark, made in an apparently private chat with team-mates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha, triggered a wave of criticism from fans and parts of the Spanish media, who accused the Spain international of disrespecting a rival going through a difficult spell.
- Rodri says he has apologised to Jose Gaya and the whole Valencia squad.
- The 'very weak' comment was made on the bench after he was substituted during the 5-0 win at Mestalla.
- The player insists it was an expression of surprise and a private conversation taken out of context.
- Valencia are bottom of LaLiga with no wins from their opening four matches.
- The apology came after Barcelona's 5-1 Champions League win over Feyenoord.
What happened with Rodri on the Mestalla bench
The sequence unfolded late in the match on the fourth weekend of the LaLiga season. Rodri, who joined Barcelona from Manchester City this summer in a £65m move, had already been substituted and was watching the game from the bench alongside Cubarsi and Raphinha. According to broadcaster Movistar, who aired the footage, the 30-year-old said: "They're really weak. They haven't got past the halfway line." The video has no audio, but the lip-reading was enough to ignite the debate.
The result left Valencia bottom of the table, still without a win from their first four league fixtures. A delicate situation for a historic club fighting to climb out of trouble since the start of the campaign.
Rodri's apology to Valencia and Jose Gaya
The golden ball winner from Spain's 2026 World Cup triumph spoke after Barcelona's 5-1 victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday. He confirmed that he had reached out to Valencia captain Jose Gaya, a team-mate in the national side, and extended his apologies to the rest of the group as well.
I apologised to my friend and colleague Jose Gaya and to the entire squad as well. I also want to make it clear that it was simply an expression of surprise - anyone watching the video can see that. At no point did I intend to mock anyone or take a difficult moment for a team out of context. Quite the opposite - we all want Valencia to return to where it belongs in the league, it is one of the best clubs in the competition. I simply wanted to say that.
The midfielder also offered a reflection on how these images are treated in modern football. "I would also add that it was a private conversation; I think we should all learn a bit more from this, as things really do get taken out of context sometimes. But at no point did I mean any disrespect. My apologies to Valencia," he said.
Social media and press reaction to Rodri's comment
The episode quickly went viral. Numerous fans and several Spanish outlets criticised the Barcelona player for showing a lack of class towards a rival enduring a rough patch. Rodri, one of the marquee signings of the summer window, found himself at the centre of the storm for several days.
Rather than going into hiding, his appearance before the media aimed to settle the matter with a conciliatory tone. The player stressed that his intention was never to humiliate Valencia and underlined the respect he holds for a club with the history of the Mestalla outfit.
Valencia's situation in LaLiga after four games
The heavy defeat to Barcelona deepened Valencia's early-season woes. Four games, zero wins and the bottom spot in the standings. The team is searching for its best form to escape the lower reaches as quickly as possible and bring some hope back to a fanbase that has endured difficult campaigns in recent years.
Barcelona, meanwhile, continue to fly. The thrashing at Mestalla and the subsequent 5-1 win over Feyenoord in the Champions League confirm the superb form of a side that has started the season with devastating firepower.
Frequently asked questions about the Rodri and Valencia controversy
Frequently asked questions
What exactly did Rodri say about Valencia?
According to the lip-reading shared by Movistar, Rodri said from the bench that Valencia were 'really weak' and had not got past the halfway line. The footage had no audio, but the player later acknowledged it was an expression of surprise.
Has Rodri apologised to Valencia?
Yes. The Barcelona midfielder confirmed he apologised personally to Jose Gaya, Valencia's captain and his Spain team-mate, and extended his apologies to the whole squad. The apology came after the Champions League match against Feyenoord.
Where are Valencia in the LaLiga table?
Valencia sit bottom of LaLiga after the first four matchdays, having failed to secure a single win. The 5-0 defeat to Barcelona at Mestalla worsened their position in the lower part of the table.