Here’s a riddle for all the geometry geeks out there. Ever heard of the term Rodrizontal? Neither did we, but it seems like the freshly crowned king of football, Ballon d’Or winner—Rodri was labeled this tag or nickname by the football fandom across social media platforms like ‘X’ back in the day.
As of yesterday night, we can regard this nickname as one of the most horrible slander names to fail over time, but why did fans across social media give the midfielder such a weird nickname? Let’s dive deep into that context today.
Well, as of today, the Spaniard is living his life, isn’t he? He’s just achieved the pinnacle of his career; he’s already won everything at club and international level (except the World Cup), all at a fairly young age. But very few fans might have any recollection of the defensive midfielder struggling in his initial days at Etihad after his move from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Rodri often struggled with the high-tempo and intricate style of play that Pep Guardiola and the Premier League demanded. Coming from Atletico Madrid’s more defensive, compact system, Rodri was used to playing a deeper role focused on breaking up opposition attacks and maintaining possession conservatively.
At City, however, he had to adapt to a quicker, more progressive style that required him to anticipate, distribute forward, and take more creative risks while still maintaining defensive responsibilities.
As a consequence of this, a few months later, fans across football Twitter, now known as the popular platform ‘X’ dubbed him “Rodrizontal” back in the seasons between 2020-22 because he often played it safe, choosing sideways passes instead of driving the ball forward.
This style of play slowed down City’s transition and made him seem hesitant compared to Fernandinho, who had previously excelled in that role.
Rodri’s early performances lacked the aggression and forward-thinking movement expected in Guardiola’s system, and the transition period was tough for him as he adjusted his positioning, pace, and vision to match City’s attacking structure.
However, over time, he evolved and proved himself as a key player by adding more dynamism in terms of his runs inside the box, goal-scoring abilities at clutch times (including the UCL Treble season final), and confidence to his game.
Rodri’s calm, almost understated approach to the game has been his secret weapon—he’s always believed that being “normal” comes more naturally than going all out, and it shows in his controlled, composed playing style. That very grounded nature has helped him rise above the noise and just focus on the game.
This is the very reason why all fan groups across social media, including even rival fans of Manchester City, are giving their credit to the midfielder for making a classic comeback from his good old Rodrizontal days.
From “Rodrizontal” to Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri’s journey has been nothing short of poetic justice. Once dubbed a sideways passer, he’s now the midfield force leading City’s engine room and, evidently, the world stage.
Safe to say those critics have been left watching from the sidelines as he redefines what it means to control the pitch. It’s funny how life works—sometimes, those steady sideways passes end up taking you straight to the top.
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