[News Figures] Rodri Who Delivered Man City’s First UCL Victory

191cm Tall Midfielder... Stable Defense
Soccer Player Studying with a 'Degree in Business Administration' Completed

Midfielder Rodri, who led Manchester City (England) to the club's first UEFA Champions League title, was honored as the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

On the 12th (Korean time), UEFA announced that Rodri was selected as the MVP of the 2022-23 Champions League season. Rodri scored the winning goal in the 23rd minute of the second half in the final against Inter Milan (Italy), leading to a 1-0 victory.

With this goal, Man City lifted the big ear (Champions League trophy) for the first time since the club's founding. Having previously won the English Premier League (EPL) and the FA Cup, Man City achieved the treble.

Cheering Rodri. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Rodri was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1996. Rodri is his nickname; his full name is Rodrigo Hern?ndez Cascante. He is a midfielder known for his defensive skills, leveraging his tall stature of 191 cm. Experts evaluate him as having excellent positioning and pass interception abilities.

A product of Atl?tico Madrid's youth academy, he made his La Liga debut with Villarreal (Spain's first division) in the 2015-16 season in April 2016. From the 2016-17 season, Rodri established himself in La Liga, leaving a strong impression with 31 appearances, 1 goal, and 2 assists across various cup competitions. In the 2017-18 season, as a regular starter, he took charge of Villarreal's midfield with 44 appearances, 1 goal, and 2 assists.

When Rodri joined Man City in 2019
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He transferred to Man City in July 2019. The transfer fee was reportedly ?62.8 million (approximately 92.37 billion KRW).

Rodri is also known for balancing his football career while attending university. On November 1, 2021, Man City announced on their official website that "Rodri completed a business administration degree at the University of Castell?n in Spain." The club added, "Rodri had already been taking business classes before joining Man City in 2019 and recently completed the course."

According to 'Sports Bible,' when Rodri was a regular member at Villarreal, he lived in a university dormitory. This reflects his modest lifestyle; his first car, purchased after obtaining a driver's license, was a used Vauxhall Corsa. At that time, Rodri earned an average weekly wage of ?23,000 (approximately 33 million KRW). A university friend of his told the media, "People were surprised to see Rodri, who plays in La Liga, living in a dormitory," adding, "It was strange at first to see him playing table tennis and doing laundry. He enjoyed being with his friends."

Manchester City players celebrate holding the championship trophy "Big Ear" after defeating Inter Milan 1-0 in the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League (UCL) final held on the 11th at Atat?rk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Man City became the eighth European club to achieve the treble by winning the English Premier League (EPL), the FA Cup, and the Champions League trophy, the 'big ear,' this season. This is only the second time an EPL club has achieved the treble since Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 1998-1999 season.

European clubs that have achieved the treble include Celtic (1967), Ajax (1972), PSV Eindhoven (1988), Manchester United (1999), FC Barcelona (2009, 2015), Inter Milan (2010), and Bayern Munich (2013, 2020).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.