Barcelona midfielder Rodri stated that despite an impressive start to the season, his team cannot be considered favorites in the UEFA Champions League, emphasizing the need to improve several aspects to achieve European triumph.
The team under Hansi Flick has shown strong results at the beginning of the season, scoring 21 goals and conceding only four in five recent matches across all tournaments. In the Champions League campaign, the Catalans finished third in the group stage, behind defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
Nevertheless, Rodri believes that Barcelona still has significant work to do before it can be considered the most likely contender for the trophy. He told Mundo Deportivo: 'The Champions League is possible, but I don't think we are favorites.'
This Spanish international player, who recently moved to Barcelona from Manchester City, believes that winning the Champions League would be an important step for the club in its pursuit of returning to the top of European football. He added: 'I clearly see this as a possible title, and it is, so to speak, the next step for us to establish ourselves and show Europe the character of the team we represent.'
From this perspective, in Rodri's opinion, they are not favorites because one must understand where they came from and realize what is required to become champions; he noted that the team still needs to correct several issues to reach championship level.
Barcelona has not won the Champions League since 2015, when they defeated Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin. Since then, their path in Europe has been marked by a series of disappointing exits and heavy defeats. The Catalan club was eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 in the 2020/21 season, and subsequently suffered consecutive group stage exits in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. In the 2023/24 season, they reached the quarterfinals but were again defeated by PSG before reaching the semi-finals in the 2024/25 season, where they lost to Inter Milan 7-0 on aggregate over two legs. The 2025/26 season ended for Barcelona in the quarterfinals after Atletico Madrid defeated them 3-2 on aggregate over two matches.
Rodri believes that his arrival, along with the experience of other senior players, should help Barcelona take this final step in Europe. He stated: 'Players like me are bought for this purpose. I believe the Champions League is not necessarily for the best team, but it is a tournament of moments.' He continued: 'In the Champions League, you have to control the moments in the playoffs. Red cards, penalties, conceded goals. That's what determines whether you move on or not. After all, before you win, you have to lose, and you have to learn.'