"They're rubbish, man!", when Rodri mocks Valencia's level on the Barça bench

Recruited by Barça this summer after turning down Real Madrid, Rodri was caught on Movistar+ cameras openly criticising the poor level of Valencia, whom the Catalans soundly beat at home (0-5) on Sunday.

A bit of an "old school" player, often seen tucking his shirt into his shorts, Rodri (30 years old) isn't one to cover his mouth with his hand, unlike the vast majority of players. And this delights the prying cameras. Those from the Movistar+ channel and its show "El Dia Despues" reveled in the midfielder's very blunt, off-the-cuff analysis of Valencia's level, whom Barça were in the process of crushing (0-5) on Sunday during the 4th matchday.

"What place did they finish in last year?"

Starting for the first time since signing with Barcelona this summer (after his about-face at Real Madrid), the World Cup winner was substituted in the 62nd minute by Marc Bernal, to applause from the Mestalla crowd, with his team already comfortably leading 3-0. He then took his place on the bench alongside Pau Cubarsi, who was also substituted. He didn't hesitate to criticize the level of his opponents to his young teammate. "Really soft, these guys are really soft... Really soft," he repeated over and over, wearing a bewildered expression.

That Rodri's conversation at the banquet of @FCBarcelona - @valenciacf is a reason for our indignation. The truly indignant és tindre al fill del satrapa de @govsingapore , a Solis ia Ron en la llotja i que isquen vius (sportivamente speaking) de Mestalla. #LimGoHome 🦇🧡 pic.twitter.com/VGLmDr9vjL

— Soc VFC💯+7💯+1🏟️ (@soc_vfc)

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"They didn't even cross the halfway line in the second half..."

Clearly frustrated by Valencia's lackluster performance, the former Manchester City player harshened his stance in several other short segments. "They're rubbish, man! They're really rubbish," he insisted, before turning his attention to Valencia's recent results. "Where did they finish in the league last season? They didn't even cross the halfway line in the second half..."

A mainstay of Spanish football, with six titles to its name (the last in 2004) and two Champions League final defeats (2000 and 2001), Valencia CF has fallen back into mediocrity since its golden age in the early 2000s. Its last appearance in the Champions League dates back to the 2019-2020 season (round of 16). Last season, the teammates of former Lyon player Mouctar Diakhaby finished in ninth place. But they are experiencing a very difficult start to the 2026-2027 season with one draw and three defeats in four matches, leaving them languishing at the bottom of the table. With four wins in as many games, Barça is in first place.