Pep Guardiola ‘phonecall helped convince Rodri to choose Barcelona over Real Madrid transfer with Mourinho key factor’

PEP GUARDIOLA advised Rodri against a move to Real Madrid in favour of Barcelona, claims a sensational report in Spain. The Manchester City icon this week sealed a £65.4million move to Barca following seven glittering years at the Etihad. Rodri has agreed to join Barcelona this summer Credit: Getty The midfielder, 30, worked under Pep Guardiola for seven years Credit: Getty Rodri, 30, was strongly linked with Real Madrid earlier in the summer, only for Los Blancos to be gazumped by their Catalan rivals. The Bernabeu side are set to be managed by Guardiola’s old rival Jose Mourinho this summer, after the Portuguese boss sealed a return from Benfica earlier this summer. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Guardiola and Mourinho repeatedly clashed while managing on opposite sides of the Clasico-divide. The latter even launched a dig at Guardiola in his recent Netflix docu-series – claiming that sabbaticals are for the “weak”. Rodri, meanwhile, wound up Real by beating Vinicius Jr to the Ballon d’Or in 2024. The Spanish giants boycotted the ceremony when they got wind of the result. And a giant City banner featuring Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or trophy alongside the Oasis lyric “stop crying your heart out” left Vinicius Jr feeling “fired up” during a Champions League tie in February 2025. Rodri’s Barcelona transfer was discussed by Madrid-based panel show El Chiringuito. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS City wound Vinicius Jr up with this cheeky banner Credit: Reuters Speaking in Spanish, pundit Juanfe Sanz Perez said: “An important call that was made when when it became known that there was an interest from Real Madrid for Rodri was – and they tell me it was him who called Rodri – was from Guardiola. “Guardiola gave his point of view about the style of the club and the precedents that could make it difficult for Rodri, the theme of the Ballon d’Or, the relationship he could have with Vinicius with everything that happened, Mourinho’s style of football etc etc. “It’s not going to be the type of football he had at Manchester City. “The conversation with Guardiola, it’s not that it changed his opinion completely but it made him think again about the profile of the club [and] that he could fit in much better at Barca than Madrid.” Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola repeatedly clashed while both managing in Spain Credit: AFP Rodri is set to embark on a new chapter in Spain Credit: Getty Rodri played his entire City career under Guardiola. The iconic manager was replaced at the Etihad by Enzo Maresca, one of his former assistants, this summer after he decided to leave Eastlands after a decade in charge. Upon arriving at Barcelona Airport, Rodri declared: “I’m fulfilling a dream. “Let’s go and win the Champions League and everything else.” Rodri leaves City having played 298 times for the club; scoring 28 goals and laying on 32 assists. The midfield general won four Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups, three League Cups, a Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup during his amazing City stint – while also winning the World Cup and Ballon d’Or. Play Dream Team this season! £100,000 in prize money up for grabs in 2026/27 Free to enter Play in Mini Leagues against your mates £60,000 jackpot for the overall winner £1,000 prize for winning Gameweek 1 PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW! Comment now