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JAIME RINCON
Updated
Rodri Hernández took advantage of his time ‘The Great Game of COPE’ to speak openly about all the controversy that has surrounded his conquest of the Ballon d’Or. “I won through consistency, which is the most difficult thing in football. The most consistent player in the season was me.
Vini’s absence
“It didn’t hurt me that Vini wasn’t there. Why would it hurt me? Nobody told us he was going to win. You go there and until the envelope is opened… Man, if the Madrid team doesn’t come it will be for a reason “They would have their reasons, but… I wouldn’t have done it that way, but everyone will know. I wouldn’t have given it so much focus, diverting the focus that way is not the best.”
Madrid would have their reasons, but I wouldn’t have done it that way
The congratulatory messages
“One of the congratulations that has made me most excited is that of Iniesta. What do I say to Iniesta? He should have one. He is the best in the history of our country and I was embarrassed to respond to him.”
The surprise of the Ballon d’Or
“Two days before the gala, my father told me: ‘You have to prepare something, lest we win it. And I told him: ‘Dad, leave me alone, let’s applaud.'”
The message to Morata
“Morata told me ‘You’re stupid. If you had social networks you would have a Ballon d’Or’. And as soon as I won it I wrote to him: ‘Look, Ballon d’Or and without social networks.’
His return to the playing fields
“I have in mind to play this season. Now the seasons are getting longer and the Mundialito ends on July 13. I have in mind to return this year, as a challenge.”
Barcelona’s level
“Barcelona’s level has surprised us all. Because of the number of Spanish National Team players they have, I’m happy.”
Haaland
“The most decisive player in the world in terms of numbers is Haaland. And he is also very young and will be for many years. I would say that he is the only player who can come close to Cristiano and Messi.”
He could have left football… at 17 years old!
“At 17, I wanted to leave football. I don’t know if I would have been able to, but I was devastated. I had sacrificed a lot and I saw that no, I wasn’t moving forward. That call with my father was the most important moment of my career.”
Your “Spanish Gibraltar”
“The one that awaited me in England if the English had won the European Championship… They don’t even know where Gibraltar is. I asked them if they had heard about my sanction and they asked me what Gibraltar was.”
“The English don’t even know where Gibraltar is.
Future at City
“The renewal with City is not my priority right now. I want to recover and we’ll see… I like to live in the present, I have a contract with City and I am very, very happy there. Since I arrived in England I feel that it is my home , but I watch LaLiga and I don’t close doors.”
Guardiola
“There will be a before and after when Pep leaves City. When I signed they told me that he would leave the following year… and so we continue 5 years later. He is very ambitious and we will see. When he is not there things will change, but “Manchester City is still Manchester City.”
Who would you have voted for in the Ballon d’Or?
“I would vote Carvajal second and Vinicius third.”
