Rodri's Dream to Fulfill at EURO 2024
Rodri Hernández has won it all with Manchester City. He's scored the goal that secured the long-sought Champions League. He's been racking up successes at the club level, but as a key player for the Spanish national team, he admits that winning the European Championship with his country "is much more than a dream."
Spain is once again stepping onto privileged ground, being considered a favorite due to a "winning gene" that Rodri attributes to Luis de la Fuente. He instilled this mentality years ago in a group that also knew how to win titles in lower categories. Just like Spain's "golden generation" built "the legend" in 2008, today's Spanish internationals are determined to achieve the same feat in 2024.
They captivated the nation with their football and overcame another obstacle on their path. From the ghosts of the quarterfinals of those years to the challenge of defeating the host, Germany.
"What I want is to advance, to win," says Rodri in an interview with EFE, where he reflects on style. An obligatory evolution, which he believes Pep Guardiola would also accept by reducing possession due to the type of Spanish players who are not "afraid of challenges." This is the message that has resonated from De la Fuente. France, led by Kylian Mbappé, presents the final challenge before the championship match.
When asked about Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, the Manchester City midfielder commented: "They are very explosive players, different from what we are used to, and they are contributing a lot. It's impressive that at their age, they are showing incredible maturity."
To conclude, Rodri reaffirmed his dream of winning a European Championship with Spain, stating: "For me, winning a Euro with my country would be much more than a dream. We know there's still a long way to go, we haven't achieved anything yet, and there are two very important steps left, but it would be very special to celebrate with this generation that has been doing things so well for a long time. We're taking it step by step, but it would be more than a dream."