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8 Man City begin their 2024/25 Champions League campaign with a classic fixture against the team they overcame in the 2023 final to win the treble; Inter Milan.
It is one of a host of first night fixtures that sees two of European football’s biggest sides going head to head.
UEFA, in their wisdom, have decided to reformat the premier European competition so that it isn’t just from the knockout rounds onwards where the supposed ‘big guns’ meet each other.
Man City’s Rodri shuts down Real Madrid talk
Time will tell if their tinkering has been worthwhile or if its another hairbrained idea that quickly hits the buffers.
Rodri was the hero when City triumphed over Inter, scoring the only goal in that final, and his name appears to have been consistently linked with a move to Spanish giants, Real Madrid, in the recent past.
It seems he has no intention of discussing the matter further, however.
?? Rodri on his future: “I have three more years at Man City and when I sign the contract I don't think of other teams”.
“So I have three more years at Man City, and nothing more to say”. pic.twitter.com/DsdBWdFFJC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 17, 2024
“I have three more years at Man City and when I sign the contract I don’t think of other teams,” he was quoted as saying by CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, on X, formerly Twitter.
“So I have three more years at Man City, and nothing more to say.”
Romano also noted the midfielder’s words on what it would be like for him to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award, in a separate post on X.
?? Rodri on the Ballon d’Or: “It’d be a dream!”.
“I'm very happy for everything that happen to me in the last years, winning what City won and winning the Euros with my country is just a dream”.
“It's a consequence of the hard work, consistency, never giving up”. pic.twitter.com/EwFnNNvHIz
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 17, 2024
“It’d be a dream,” Rodri added.
“I’m very happy for everything that happened to me in the last years, winning what City won and winning the Euros with my country is just a dream.
“It’s a consequence of the hard work, consistency, never giving up.”

 
It would be a brave man that would bet against the Spaniard winning the golden ball, given how important Rodri has become for club and country.
He has been the rock on which the success of both has been built and if he weren’t to get recognised after winning both a Premier League and a European Championship, surely questions will be asked again regarding the legitimacy of the award.
Top photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
