When you see Rodri, you can tell that he has the potential to become a hero

When you see Rodri, you can tell that he has the potential to become a hero

Rodri of Manchester City celebrates at full time during the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 final match between FC Internazionale and Manchester City FC at Ataturk Olympic Stadium on June 10, 2023, in Istanbul, Turkey. (Getty)

In their gathering, the name Rodri often comes up in discussions about Manchester City. Without mentioning such a discussion, it's incomplete. And yesterday, at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Rodri was not the hero for Inter Milan.

In the final of the 2022-23 season's Champions League, yesterday Manchester City faced Inter Milan. Despite numerous attempts and counterattacks, no one could break the deadlock. Finally, in the 68th minute of the match, City scored the winning goal. This goal by City was filled with theatricality. Manuel Akanji passed the ball to Bernardo Silva near the penalty box. When Silva took the shot, the ball deflected off Inter's defender Darmian's body and spun into the net. City's footballers were resorting to handball at that moment. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Rodri ran and took a composed shot. This shot by City's defensive midfielder found its true address, leaving Inter's goalkeeper Handanovic helpless. With a 1-0 victory, City won the Champions League for the first time, just like in the first final.

Rodri played a crucial role in City's first Champions League triumph. After the final, this Spanish footballer said, "I have become emotionally overwhelmed. Finally, the dream has come true. In the past years, we were very close. It wasn't easy to achieve this (Champions League victory) considering how the opposition defended, changed tactics, and launched counterattacks. This celebration is well-deserved for us."

In the upcoming season, Rodri has played a total of 56 matches. Among them, in 52 matches, he was part of the starting lineup. In Pep Guardiola's coaching career, he has used a footballer in matches in a single season, second only to Lionel Messi. Messi held the record with 57 matches in Barcelona's 2011-12 season.