As is always the case, the upcoming El Clasico will once again grip the entire footballing world. People from around the globe will be watching FC Barcelona and Real Madrid take on one another, especially in a context when these two Spanish clubs are also engaged in several battles off the pitch as well.
One of the battlegrounds in which these two entities engaged recently was the transfer window, as there were several players in whom both of these two clubs were interested. The most prominent of these was Rodri Hernandez, who seemed very close to joining the Merengues at one point in the summer, but [who ultimately rejected their offer to join the Blaugrana side](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/rodri-opens-up-on-difficult-decision-to-reject-real-madrid-for-barcelona/).
As a result, the spotlight would be particularly focused on him during this Sunday’s game. Ahead of this match, he spoke to DAZN during yesterday’s media day, and as [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261023/1004242355/rodri-llegamos-mentalidad-intacta.html) has reported, talked about several aspects of this upcoming match.
The Spanish midfielder expressed his happiness at being able to play in El Clasico:
**“It’s a great joy to return to Spanish football and experience a Clásico, given its worldwide significance. One of the disadvantages for players who have played in, for example, the Premier League is that they haven’t been as highly regarded or received the same level of attention as they can in La Liga. I’ve been fortunate enough to return and play in matches like this, which put you on the global stage. The world stops to watch El Clásico, and we hope it goes well.”**
Rodri also recognized Jose Mourinho as a very competent manager:
**“Mourinho is a manager with a strong personality. He has a decisive impact on the teams he joins and a very distinctive philosophy. He always raises his team’s competitive level.”**
The Barcelona star was wary about Los Blancos’ spirit coming into this game:
**“Madrid have a different style of play from ours, but the competitive spirit is always there, especially in matches of this magnitude, so we expect Real Madrid to give everything.”**
The midfielder believed that recent El Clasico record in favor of Barcelona will further drive Real Madrid to get a win in this match:
**“I think they’ve won only one of the last six or seven Clásicos, so they’ll be eager to put that right.”**
Meanwhile, he was also clear that the defeat against PSG would not affect his team too much:
**“It’s true that we’re coming off that setback in Paris, but our mentality remains intact, and we’re determined to keep doing things well.”**
Being his first El Clasico, this will be a special game for Rodri Hernandez, which will gain more in significance after his transfer saga involving Barcelona and Real Madrid. Hopefully, he will put in a good performance in that match, and prove that he made the right decision joining the Blaugranes last summer.