One Year On, Villarreal Salutes Rodri for Ballon d'Or Glory

Villarreal honors Rodri ahead of a Champions League clash

Spanish club Villarreal paid tribute to their former academy product Rodri Hernandez, now a star at Manchester City, more than a year after he clinched the Ballon d'Or in 2024.

City were due to visit La Ceramica on Tuesday night for a Champions League group-stage match, a fixture that put the spotlight on the midfielder who began his rise in Villarreal’s youth ranks.

Although he was not in action due to injury, Rodri travelled to Spain and was warmly saluted on the pitch by the home side.

Club tribute and Guardiola’s update

Villarreal announced that Rodri, the former academy graduate, received the club’s Golden Badge in recognition of his Ballon d'Or success, a gesture that underscored his enduring link with the village where he started and the club that helped shape him.

Earlier, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had indicated that Rodri would miss the match against Villarreal and possibly other upcoming league fixtures, stressing that the recovery would dictate his return to action.

Rodri, 29, has been sidelined for long stretches since suffering a knee injury in the previous season, and his absence has been felt in City’s balance and control in midfield.

City’s captaincy and engine room were tested as the Spaniard’s influence—long a fulcrum for a side built on control and transition—was missed more than a few times this campaign.

Injury impact and City’s rebuild

The injury came at a sensitive moment in the season, with City contesting multiple competitions. Rodri’s absence altered the team’s rhythm and defensive stability, and opponents grew more confident pressing higher up the pitch.

City’s performance dipped at times late in 2024, prompting questions about form and depth. While the team retained a spine of established players, the shift in midfield dynamics was evident, and the tactical balance that Rodri typically provides became harder to replicate—even with seasoned teammates such as Kovacic and Gundogan still in the squad at different stages of the campaign.

Rodri’s long-term absence also intersected with City’s need for mid-season experimentation and strategic planning as they prepared for a demanding calendar in England and Europe.

In January, Guardiola did bring in a compatriot, Nico Gonzalez, to help offset the midfielder’s absence, signaling City’s intent to preserve midfield control while Rodri recovered.

There was talk of “midfield collapse” in certain phases, a reflection of the emotional and tactical strain of performing across league and continental fronts while managing injuries and fatigue. Yet the club remained confident in its core approach—pressing, possession, and quick transitions—while acknowledging that Rodri’s return would offer a significant uplift.

City has continued to bolster the squad with a series of summer signings in the build-up to the 2025-2026 season, signaling a strategic refresh to support the team’s ambitions in both the Premier League and the Champions League. The additions included a trio of goalkeepers—Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford, and Marcus Bettinelli—alongside Ryan Ait-Nouri, Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and a teenage addition, Sverri Niban, with plans for eventual integration across the squad.

All in all, the club’s strategy reflects a balance between honoring past stars like Rodri, addressing current injury realities, and preparing for a renewed era of competition.

As Rodri continues his rehabilitation, City fans will be hoping for a return to the compact, dominant style that defined much of Guardiola’s tenure, with the midfield re-tuned to marry control with dynamism.

Ultimately, Villarreal’s gesture underlines football’s human side: clubs remember their heroes, even when those heroes are storming the opposition’s midfield in Manchester blue.

Punchline time: If patience were an extra player, City would be unstoppable—Rodri or no Rodri, the ball would still find the back of the net with surgical precision. Punchline 2: Guardiola’s plans are so well-aimed that even a missed pass turns into a bookmark for the next clever recall—sniper-level timing, minus the real danger, plus a lot of public relations staff.