Rodri outlines what FC Barcelona needs to win the Champions League

The Spanish midfielder Rodri sees that his team, FC Barcelona, is capable of competing strongly for the UEFA Champions League title. However, he does not consider the Catalan club the top contender for the trophy, emphasizing that the team still needs to develop certain aspects before reclaiming the European summit.

Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, stated in remarks to the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo": "Yes, of course, winning the UEFA Champions League is the final small step to show Europe who we are and what we can do." He added: "I don't think we are the favorites. We must remember where we came from and understand what it takes to become champions. This team still needs to improve in some areas to achieve that."

The Spanish midfielder clarified that the Champions League does not solely depend on the quality of players or the strength of the team on paper, but requires perfect handling of crucial moments, stating: "In my opinion, the UEFA Champions League does not necessarily reward the best team on paper. It is a competition decided in important moments, and on the ability to exploit them, and perhaps this is where the room for improvement still lies for this team."

Rodri hopes that FC Barcelona will become more defensively solid after the team displayed significant attacking strength during their European campaign last season, scoring 32 goals in 12 matches. However, they conceded 20 goals before being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Atlético. The Spaniard believes that reducing defensive errors and improving handling of crucial moments will be key factors if Barcelona wants to compete for the continental title.

FC Barcelona aims to reclaim the UEFA Champions League title for the first time since 2015, with Rodri hoping his arrival from Manchester City will help achieve this goal. However, he prefers to keep expectations in check, emphasizing that the road to the title requires collective development rather than just having strong names.