Barcelona Midfielder Rodri Apologises After ‘Weak’ Valencia Remark

Barcelona midfielder Rodri has officially apologised to the entire Valencia squad after television cameras appeared to capture him describing the struggling La Liga side as “very weak.”

The comment was reportedly made to Barcelona teammates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha while Rodri sat on the bench following his substitution during Sunday’s 5-0 league victory against Valencia.

The result at Mestalla Stadium left Valencia bottom of the table, with no wins in their first four league matches.

Although the footage contains no audio, broadcaster Movistar claimed to have lip-read the 30-year-old former Manchester City player saying: “They’re really weak. They haven’t got past the halfway line.”

Fans and segments of the Spanish media accused Rodri—who won the Golden Ball as Spain claimed the 2026 World Cup—of being disrespectful.

“I apologised to my friend and colleague Jose Gaya, the Spain defender and Valencia captain, as well as to the entire squad,” Rodri said following Barcelona’s 5-1 victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“I also want to make it clear that this 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 they belong in the league, as it is one of the best clubs in the competition. I simply meant to express that.”

“I would also add that it was a private conversation, and I believe we should all learn from this, as things can often be taken out of context. However, I never meant any disrespect. My sincere apologies to Valencia.”

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