Pedro Rodríguez, the Canarian veteran who went from the Barça youth team to the Premier League and then to Serie A, revealed in an interview with Mundo Deportivo two curiosities about his first coaches in the club's first team and explained what his painful goodbye with Luis Enrique was like.
The former player, who at 39 years old has 20 years of professional career and 25 titles, including a World Cup and a European Championship with the national team, recalled that Pep Guardiola had always seen him as a project to develop. “Pep gave me a lot of advice from the grassroots and sought to improve every aspect of my game,” he explained. An anecdote that remained etched in his memory was the conversation he had with the coach before the Champions League final at Wembley. Guardiola asked him if he was ready to play and asked him to press the balls, go up on the attack and look at the goal when he had the opportunity. Pedro stated that Guardiola's confidence motivated him enormously and that he responded with the same energy.
With Tito Vilanova, Pedro described a “spectacular, honest and faithful” man. Vilanova, who was also part of the Barça B project with Guardiola, taught him a lot both on a football and personal level. “When he told me that I wasn't scoring goals and that I should give others a chance, I responded that it was fine,” he said. The former player highlighted that Tito helped him understand the game and grow as a footballer, although he also recalled that the period under his command was hard and painful for all the players.
Regarding his departure from Barça, Pedro pointed out that circumstances led him to seek new experiences. “The club was the one I wanted the most, but it had fewer and fewer opportunities and we decided that the best thing was to try other things,” he explained. He admitted that the process was very hard, because he loved Barça, he was comfortable in the locker room and he had his family life in the city. Changing countries and cultures was difficult, but it also allowed him to grow as a person and player.
The former forward concluded that both Guardiola and Luis Enrique were born leaders who encouraged him to give his best in every training session and match. With his departure, Pedro leaves behind a stage full of achievements and learning that marked his career, while he prepares for whatever may come in his football career.