Rodri apologises to Valencia after bench remarks air on Spanish television

Bench comments at Mestalla

During Barcelona's 5-0 victory against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium, midfielder Rodri Hernández was substituted in the 62nd minute by manager Hans-Dieter Flick for Marc Bernal. After walking to the dugout, television cameras captured Rodri in conversation with team-mates Pau Cubarsí and Raphinha. The footage caught the Spanish midfielder calling the opposing team weak and noting that Valencia had failed to cross the halfway line during the second half. Rodri also asked Cubarsí where Valencia had finished in the 2025–2026 league table, expressing surprise when the defender replied that the club had narrowly missed qualification for European competition.

Broadcast footage and deletion

The footage was broadcast by Spanish television network Movistar Plus on the programme El Día Después with a voiceover reproducing the conversation. The clip showed Rodri remarking that Valencia were playing poorly following a match that left the club at the bottom of the La Liga table with zero wins from their opening four matches. The broadcast was subsequently removed from the network's platforms without public explanation after generating attention across social media. Rodri, who left Spanish football for Manchester City in 2019 when Valencia won the Copa del Rey and finished fourth to qualify for the Champions League, later explained that his comments reflected surprise at Valencia's sporting decline rather than contempt.

Direct apology to Valencia squad

Following the circulation of the clip, Rodri made a telephone call to Valencia captain José Luis Gayà to explain the situation and deliver an apology to the entire Valencia squad. The midfielder stated that the remarks occurred during a private conversation on the bench and carried no malicious intent. Gayà, who has played alongside Rodri in the Spanish national team, accepted the apology while noting that the remarks were uncalled for. The private conversation between the two international team-mates took place ahead of Barcelona's midweek European fixture.

A human being, when they make a mistake, must ask for forgiveness. I hope Valencia return to the place where they belong.

Public statement following Champions League match

Rodri addressed the media in the mixed zone on Wednesday night after Barcelona secured a 5-1 victory over Feyenoord in their opening Champions League fixture. In that match, Rodri started as Barcelona scored five times through two goals from Raphinha, two from Lamine Yamal, and a debut goal from Gabriel Jesus. Following the final whistle, the midfielder reiterated his regret to Valencia supporters and insisted that his words were an expression of surprise that had been taken out of context. Barcelona's next competitive fixture is scheduled for Sunday against Levante.

First and foremost, I'd like to apologise to anyone who may have felt offended. I had a phone call with my friend Jose Gaya and apologised to him and the whole squad. I want to make it clear that it was an expression of surprise; anyone who watches the video can see that at no point did I intend to mock or take any team out of context.