He is the most unusual footballer you will ever come across; no social media, no luxury properties, no fancy cars, no tattoos, no lavish spending. Rodri’s Manchester City lifestyle has shocked more people than his playmaking skills in the midfield. Let’s find out what really goes on behind the scenes.
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante was born on 22 June 1996 in Madrid. And like many kids born in the Spanish Football city of Madrid, it was quite normal for Rodri to fall in love with the sport at an early age. However, growing up in an academic household meant that young Rodri would not compromise his education for anything - not even football.
If he had a ball in his right hand, his books would be on the left. Rodri was able to play some competitive football during school. By the time he was 10 years old, Rodri would pass trials with flying colors and enroll with the local club, Rayo Majadahonda.
This would mark the beginning of his career. A year later, Rodri joined Atlético Madrid's youth setup in 2007 at the age of 11 together with Lucas and Theo Hernandez but was released 6 years later in 2013 because he lacked the physical strength to compete at a high level. Rodri subsequently signed with Villarreal, making his first team debut in December 2015.
He had a crazy growth spurt and became a 6-foot-3 well-oiled powerhouse. The following season, he would establish himself as a regular with the club extending his contract until 2022. Come 2018, Athletico realized their mistakes in letting the midfielder go in the first place, so they were willing to pay Villareal a fee in the region of €20 million plus 5 million in variables.
Rodri spent one season with Athletico making 47 appearances for the club before Manchester City paid a then-record fee of £62. 6 million for the player and the rest is history. Really, it’s difficult to put into words exactly what Rodri has brought to Manchester City.
Over the course of the 2021/22 domestic campaign, Rodri had the highest pass completion rate of any midfielder in the English Premier League, with 91. 8% successful passes per 90 mins. Last season, he scored the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, helping to secure Manchester City's win for their first-ever European Cup while the club completed the continental treble.
As a result, he won the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season Award. We all know Rodri for his screamers, passing, and vision. Despite not being one of the fastest, Rodri effectively holds up against some of the fastest attackers pitched against him.
It’s no surprise he is one of the best defensive midfielders in world football. Where Fernandinho's style earned him a reputation from rivals for his tactical fouling in breaking up counter-attacks, Rodri has made his mark through a more cultured way of enforcing action in terms of tackles. Rodri has made over 200 appearances for City since joining the Citizens in 2019.
On the international stage, he has featured for Spain at under-16, under-19 and under-21 levels. Rodri made his debut for the Spanish national team in 2018 and since then he has earned almost 50 caps as he continues to impress in his role as Sergio Busquets’ successor. But let’s get into the main gist of the day.
What is actually happening with Rodri off the court? Rodri isn't married right now and he doesn’t have any kids. That is to the best of our knowledge.
It’s even hard to say who his girlfriend is but we do know he is in a relationship because he once revealed that he met his girlfriend in University. (tweet). But we don’t know who she is because Rodri prefers to keep every single thing about his personal life under wraps.
Rodri said that he met his partner in the student residence while she was also starting out on medicine. She was like ‘What is this guy doing here? ’ At the time, Rodri was in the U21 side of Villarreal and she appeared shy because she didn’t want people talking about them.
Rodri maintains a distinct boundary between his personal and professional lives, so at the moment, there is no drama whatsoever. Rodri isn't active on social media, unlike almost every other footballer. Although you will find various profiles with his name, you will be hard-pressed to find Rodri's personal Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
From the get-go, Rodri has always made it clear that his life isn’t all about football. Everyone who has spent time with him says that he is just a normal guy who happens to be very humble and with a good home upbringing. Rodri was once a student of Universidad de Castellon, which happens to be a University in Madrid.
He studied Business Studies and Economics. When he isn’t playing, recovering, or studying, Rodri spends his time playing table tennis, doing his own cooking, and watching TV. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Even after becoming a superstar, Rodri’s lifestyle did not change. He once lived under the radar in the student residence at the Universidad de Castellon as a top-flight footballer. I bet you wouldn’t see that anywhere else - a footballer rich enough to buy a mansion but preferring to live in a dorm.
Rodri has no tattoos or any expensive habits. It gets crazier when we delve into the footballer’s properties. As you would expect, Rodri lives in Manchester, but the exact details of his house are unknown.
Judging from his lifestyle, it is unlikely that he has mega-mansions to his name. It’s a little better when it comes to his cars. Rodri has an interesting automotive collection, which features a red Opel Corsa, and also a supermini car produced by the German automaker Opel.
Interestingly, it was his first car and he purchased it second-hand from an elderly lady after he got his driving license. When advised by his friends to buy a better car for his safety, Rodri didn't understand why he had to spend so much on a car. He called people 'crazy' for buying fancy cars and said that all that mattered was moving from point A to B with the vehicle.
So, just how much does Rodri make a year and what is his net worth like? The midfielder earns about £220,000 a week which brings his annual salary to about £11. 4 million a year.
Putting a list of his endorsements is a tough ask on its own considering the fact that Rodri isn't active on social media. Judging from his wages alone, we estimate Rodri’s net worth to be around $35 million, which is not bad by any standard for a 27-year-old. You would reckon that Rodri might have other investments fetching him some money.
He donates a quarter of his net worth to charities in Spain. But despite leading a quiet life, a few controversies surrounding the player have popped up. After playing 56 games last season during Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign, Rodri expressed his worries about the overcrowded football schedule, saying that it could have a negative impact on his health.
He explained that the schedule was not healthy and that footballers needed to be protected. On 23 September 2023, Rodri was sent off in a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest after lashing out at Morgan Gibbs-White following a tussle, which threatened to spark a melee. It was Rodri's first red card in the Premier League and here is one crazy stat that followed.
Manchester City went on to lose each of the three subsequent games that they played in his absence. But that’s not even the main gist. You see, Rodri’s lifestyle on and off the pitch has made him one of the biggest role models for youngsters to follow, so you might be wondering why his reputation outside Etihad has a little dent.
This narrative stems from the fact that Rodri did what some fans considered unacceptable. He was seen celebrating in front of Arsenal fans after scoring a last-minute winner. As you would expect, Gunners fans were pissed off.
Although Rodri later apologized, they were having none of it. In another instance, the decision from officials not to award a penalty at Goodison Park a couple of seasons ago after seeing the ball strike Rodri’s arm made him a target as he was resented by Liverpool supporters who held him partially responsible for them not winning the league. But if I were you, I wouldn’t take any of these misunderstandings too seriously.
So, let’s ask ourselves. Just how good is Rodri? According to his manager and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Spain International is the best midfielder in Europe and not his teammate Kevin De Bruyne but are you buying that?
Also, what are your thoughts about Rodri’s lifestyle and his decision to completely go off social media?
