Rodri has sad post-match routine that he does after every match he plays in

Spain and Manchester City star Rodri has a 'sad' post-match return that nobody had any idea about.

On Tuesday Rodri dropped another midfield masterclass as Spain beat France 2-1 to reach the final of Euro 2024.

Rodri's brilliance should come as no surprise to anyone given his exploits over the last few years.

Since February 2023 the Spaniard has tasted defeat just once, and in that time has won the treble with Manchester City - scoring the winner in the Champions League final - won the UEFA Nations League with Spain and clinched City's fourth Premier League title in a row.

Match-winning moments aren't even Rodri's best quality. The midfielder brings rhythm and movement both City and Spain, knitting everything together to make both teams function.

Becoming - in the words of Pep Guardiola - the best holding midfielder in the world hasn't been easy.

It took Rodri 18 months to adapt and acclimatise to his new surroundings after joining City in 2019, and a routine he adopted after he started working with Guardiola has helped him reached his current level.

"I always watch games back, whole. Especially if I think there are things that can be done better. I watch them alone," Rodri admitted in an interview with The Guardian before the France game.

"You see lots of things you didn’t see on the pitch. The feeling you have watching it is different to how it felt at the time.

"I often find there are things I don’t even remember having happened. I like to analyse the game, not just mine, but the rest of the team. In my mind, I see moments."

Unsurprisingly, Rodri is the bookies' third favourite to win the Ballon d'Or later this year, behind Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

Should Spain win the Euros on Sunday, it would be hard to argue that he shouldn't be the favourite.

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