Real Madrid takes swipe at Barcelona midfielder for Camp Nou move – ‘It’s his loss’

Real Madrid takes swipe at Barcelona midfielder for Camp Nou move – ‘It’s his loss’ It has been a while since the Rodri saga between Barcelona and Real Madrid ended once and for all. Los Blancos looked favourites to sign him from the start of the summer, but the Catalan club leapfrogged them and secured the player’s signature. Rodri has since been unveiled as a Barça player and, ideally, everyone should have moved on from whatever happened before. However, the Spaniard’s decision to join Barcelona instead of Madrid continues to generate reactions from the Spanish capital. Speaking in the mixed zone after the Espanyol game (h/t Diario AS ), Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was asked about Rodri and offered a rather blunt response. Courtois reacts to Rodri choosing Barça Rodri has once again become an antagonist for Real Madrid supporters. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Courtois made it clear that he was not particularly interested in dwelling on the midfielder’s decision. “Well, everyone decides what they want to do,” the Belgian said. He then added a sharper message: “If he chose another club, it’s his loss.” It is a very short answer but one that certainly reflects the rivalry surrounding a transfer that has become much more than just that. Barcelona won the battle for Rodri Rodri had serious interest from Madrid before ultimately deciding that Barcelona were the better destination for the next stage of his career. It has been indicated that both Spanish giants offered very similar financial packages and that the sporting project tipped things in Barça ’s favour. This is what makes Courtois’ response particularly amusing. Madrid can naturally argue that any player turning down the Bernabeu move is the one missing out. However, Rodri choosing Barça has to do with the Catalans’ sporting success in recent years, which has come at Madrid’s cost. Rodri will now have to prove his decision right All eyes on Rodri’s first game for Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) These kinds of comments from Courtois or anyone else mean very little once Rodri steps onto the pitch. Rodri has chosen Barcelona, and it is now on him to prove that he made the right decision and bring the Catalans closer to the Champions League. His experience, positional intelligence and ability to control matches should make him an important addition to a midfield already brimming with quality. Rodri would not need Courtois’ words for motivation, but there is no doubt that he is going to be the headline player by the time the first El Clasico of the season comes around. The 30-year-old is set to miss out on the clash against Elche , and it remains to be seen whether he can train and make his debut against Athletic Club next weekend.