Nico Gonzalez has dismissed comparisons between himself and Manchester City and Spain teammate Rodri.
The 23-year-old joined the Cityzens in January, as a replacement for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, who suffered an ACL injury early in the 2024/25 season.
The former Porto midfielder has continued to deputize in the holding midfield role in the absence of Rodri, who continues his journey to full fitness and has already missed three matches due to injury this season.
Speaking ahead of Man City’s clash against Spanish side Villareal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, Nico played down any form of comparisons between himself and the 2024 Euro MVP.
“I don’t look at news. I don’t know what you guys are talking about”, Nico said.
“He is a teammate. It’s important for the team he makes us play so good, but I don’t see any comparison or pay much attention to those things.”
Rodri was included in Man City’s traveling squad to his former side, although he is still struggling with a hamstring injury which saw him miss the 2-0 win over Everton last Saturday.
He began his career at the Yellow Submarines, before going on to join Atletico Madrid and then Manchester City.
“I try to listen and learn a lot from him. For example, the last game, at halftime he gave me some advice about what he saw because he knows a lot what to do in that position”, he added.
“He’s one of the captains and that’s a really important role. He tries to advise us and make us understand the way we want to play.”
Pep Guardiola’s men face Villareal hoping to record a second European win of the 2025/26 season.
They began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Italian champions Napoli, but AS Monaco held them to an entertaining 2-2 draw in their second game of the league phase.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
