Manchester City
Rodri Escalates Criticism of Officials After City’s 2-2 Draw With Tottenham
Rodri criticised decisions after City’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham insisting officials must be neutral.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri publicly challenged the officials after Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham, insisting that a key moment should have been reviewed and that repeated decisions have left his side disadvantaged. Speaking to Stan Sport after the match, Rodri described his frustration plainly. “I don’t know how to feel, honestly,” he said, before returning repeatedly to one incident he believes changed the game.
“Now I see the images—on the pitch, of course you cannot see—it’s a clear foul.” He added that the opening goal should not have stood. “VAR is for a reason,” he said. “And these small details make the difference.
“We’re trying to do our best. It’s the first goal they score, maybe they don’t score a [second] goal, we win the game.” Rodri insisted he was not usually outspoken about match officials. “And honestly, I never speak about referees,” he said. “I respect their job massively, but they have to pay attention to these things. He kicked the leg, it’s so clear. It’s so clear, he anticipated the leg of Marc. And it’s a clear foul. But it’s not today, it’s just two, three games in a row. And I don’t know why, honestly.
“I know we won too much, and the people just don’t want us to win. But the referee has to be neutral. And for me, honestly, it’s not fair. It’s not fair, because we worked so hard in these situations.” He later summarised the feeling as he sees it: “It’s one game, and another game and another game,” he said. “And it’s not possible.”
Manager Pep Guardiola avoided detailed criticism but could not entirely leave the point. When pressed, he asked: “If it’s a central defender to a striker it’s a penalty, right? You said the same, so you saw it.” He described the matter as “an emotional issue” and called it “fascinating in the Premier League.”
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank accepted there was contact. “There’s clear contact from him [Solanke] on it,” he said. “We want, in general, a higher threshold [for fouls]. I understand it’s in the grey area.”
Guardiola had earlier protested after Antoine Semenyo’s second goal was ruled out for a narrow offside against Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and referenced an overlooked penalty on Phil Foden and Dean Henderson’s handball for Crystal Palace in last summer’s FA Cup final.
Atlético Madrid
Agüero Ruled Out After Ruptured Achilles in +35 Senior Cup Match
Sergio Agüero’s senior return halted by a ruptured Achilles suffered in a +35 Senior League match. .
Sergio Agüero has been forced to suspend his post-retirement senior appearances after sustaining a serious Achilles injury in an over-35 fixture. The 37-year-old was injured during a clash against River Plate in Argentina’s +35 Senior League Cup. His side went on to win 2–0, but Agüero had to leave the field after suffering what was described as a “heavy blow” to his left ankle.
Teammates and opponents helped Agüero from the pitch. He later posted a video to his Instagram story to explain the diagnosis. “I had an MRI and it was confirmed that I tore my [Achilles] tendon,” he Agüero revealed. “Tomorrow, I will start the tests and I will have to have surgery. There’s no other option. I want to thank all the boys from Independiente and also those from River who were worried.”
Following the operation, Agüero shared a smiling picture from his hospital bed. The injury now places his involvement in senior football on indefinite hold as he begins rehabilitation.
Since retiring from elite-level play, Agüero has remained active in alternative competitions. He has taken part in the Kings League, appearing on court in Spain in 2023, and his KRÜ FC team is competing in Kings League Mexico in 2026. Those appearances formed part of his attempt to return to the pitch in a different capacity.
Returning to full-sided matches for the club he supported as a child had been a clear ambition. Agüero left Independiente to join Atlético Madrid at the age of 18 and had always hoped to make a comeback there. A heart problem discovered when he was 33 curtailed plans that may otherwise have allowed him to extend his playing career beyond a two-year contract at Barcelona, so the chance to play in veterans’ fixtures carried personal significance. Playing veterans’ matches “isn’t quite the same,” but it helped make that dream a reality. Only days before rupturing his Achilles, he said: “I’m going to be around here, so I hope to keep adding games.”
Manchester City
Rodri rebukes critics over Real Madrid transfer remarks
Rodri defended his comments on a possible Real Madrid move and urged people to hear whole interview.
Rodri has responded sharply to criticism of his recent comments about a potential move to Real Madrid, urging doubters to listen to the full interview before forming a view. He did not shrink from the subject in public comments after Spain’s win, saying: “You can’t turn down one of the world’s best clubs,” he said . “Real Madrid is always Real Madrid. The door is not closed.”
The remarks predictably drew widespread attention and left many City fans unhappy, particularly given the timing after the team’s exit from the Champions League. Rodri rejected the suggestion that he had been courting another club deliberately, arguing the press had overplayed selected extracts from a longer conversation.
“I’m used to it,” he laughed in the mixed zone after Spain’s 3–0 win over Serbia. “If, out of a 50-minute interview, they cut out whatever they want … in the end, I don’t have much more to say.
“I’m a person who speaks directly. The interview is there if you want to listen to it in its entirety … and not just certain snippets.”
Behind the headlines are clear reasons why Real Madrid would consider midfield reinforcements. The departures of Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos have left a visible void, and after failing to land a suitable replacement last summer the club are expected to pursue a new tempo-setter this window.
Rodri’s résumé makes him a high-profile option. He is described in the coverage as an undisputed superstar with La Liga experience and as close to a guarantee as Madrid could find. That standing sits in contrast with interest in younger prospects such as Adam Wharton and Kees Smit, which some supporters find less persuasive.
There are also complications. An anterior cruciate ligament tear at the start of last season is cited as having left him diminished for a period, and reports say Madrid officials remain unconvinced he has fully returned to the level that won the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Wages and comparative cost are further considerations, and any approach would depend on complete confidence in his fitness and form. Rodri enters the final 12 months of his contract, a factor that could influence decision-making on both sides.
Manchester City
Former Colleague Voices Concern Over Guardiola as City Future Remains Unclear
Sammer fears ‘something is wrong’ with Guardiola amid uncertainty over his Manchester City future…
A former colleague of Pep Guardiola has warned that something may be wrong with the Manchester City manager as uncertainty persists over his future at the club. Guardiola has a contract until the end of next season and has previously hinted at retiring. He also took a 12-month sabbatical at the end of the 2011–12 campaign.
Matthias Sammer, who worked with Guardiola in Munich, described their time together and expressed unease. “We worked together wonderfully for three years—it was very, very good. I think I understood him quite well with his facial expressions, his gestures, his eyes, and his way of speaking,” Sammer said on his Sky Sport Germany podcast. “My gut feeling tells me something is wrong when I look at his face. When I see your eyes, when I see your face, and in other ways too, you really don’t need to explain to clueless people what you are and who you are, and that you can’t always win. I would advise him to take a deep breath.”
Facing speculation over how long he will remain at City, Guardiola has repeatedly emphasised his contentment and his contractual position. “I have a contract. I said a thousand, million times,” he said in January when rumours began that former assistant Enzo Maresca was a consideration to replace him. “It’s 10 years here, I will leave one day but I have a contract. I’m happy. I want to fight with my team.
“The hierarchy respect me, that was proved last season with what happened in this club—we didn’t win one game in two, three months. They supported me. I have one more year’s contract. I like to be here, so we will see, you will see.” He has also joked in response to similar questions that he would quit Manchester City at “75 or 76” years of age.
The immediate sporting picture offers context. City can still complete a second domestic treble in Guardiola’s tenure after the first in 2018–19. The Carabao Cup is in the bag following last weekend’s triumph, the FA Cup remains attainable and the Premier League looks a much tougher prospect with Arsenal nine points clear and eight games to play. A domestic cup, or two, a fairly unremarkable achievement for a club with City’s track record of success over the past 15 years, is the most likely outcome.
