“Aguero and Otamendi used to make fun of me” - When Ballon d'Or winner Rodri opened up on banter from ex-Manchester City teammates

Manchester City midfielder Rodri once shared how his former teammates Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi used to make fun of him at the club. Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a reported €70 million.

The Spaniard and Sergio Aguero have shared the pitch in 39 games for Manchester City between 2019 and 2021. Meanwhile, the Spaniard played alongside Nicolas Otamendi in 32 games for the Sky Blues between 2019 and 2020.

During his early days at the club, Rodri spent a lot of time video-calling his girlfriend Laura Iglesias, which annoyed his teammates.

In an interview with The Players Tribune in September 2024, Rodri revealed that Aguero and Otamendi made fun of him for spending too much time talking to his girlfriend. He said (via SPORTbible):

"[Sergio] Aguero and [Nicolas] Otamendi actually used to make fun of me all the time — not just for my clothes but because I used to get on the bus after every match and FaceTime my missus. I’d call her after every game, win or lose. When we won, it was no problem because the boys would be rowdy and celebrating and they wouldn’t notice."

The Manchester City star added:

"But when we lost, I was still just my normal self. I had no filter. I’d be talking loudly, saying, 'Yeah, we were a bit s*** today, to be honest. The first time, Aguero and Otamendi pulled me aside and they said, 'Man, you can’t be talking like that on the bus! Pep can hear you! Everyone can hear you!"

Rodri and Laura Iglesias reportedly met while they studied at the same university in Spain. Iglesias is a doctor training to become a surgeon and is often spotted supporting the Spaniard during matches. On winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or, the Manchester City midfielder thanked his girlfriend first in his acceptance speech.

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"Best player in the world" - Ex-Manchester City star Sergio Aguero congratulates Rodri on Ballon d'Or win

Rodri and Haaland talking to Kun Aguero - Source: Getty

Shortly after Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, his former Manchester City teammate Sergio Aguero congratulated the Spaniard during a Twitch stream. The Argentine also addressed Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony as their star forward Vinicius Jr. did not win ahead of Rodri.

"Well deserved. Rodri is the best player in the World. Football is for everyone, not only Real Madrid. They feel so entitled," Aguero said.

Aguero's comments came after Real Madrid did not send any representatives to the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris following reports of Rodri winning the award. Los Blancos superstar Vinicius Jr. was among the favorites to win the award and media reports widely indicated he would be the eventual winner.

However, hours before the ceremony, journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that the Real Madrid delegation would not be traveling to Paris due to Vini Jr's snub. Since Rodri's win, multiple former and current Real Madrid players have come out in support of Vini Jr.