Barcelona midfielder Rodri has issued a public apology to Valencia and their players after television cameras appeared to capture him dismissing the La Liga side as "very weak" during Sunday's 5-0 drubbing at Mestalla Stadium.

Rodri reportedly made the comment while seated on the bench alongside Barcelona team-mates Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha, having already been substituted. Broadcaster Movistar claimed their lip-reading experts identified the 30-year-old former Manchester City man saying: "They're really weak. They haven't got past the halfway line."

The fallout

The clip — which carries no audio — drew sharp criticism from Valencia supporters and sections of the Spanish press, who accused Rodri of showing disrespect toward a club already enduring a torrid start to the season. Valencia sit bottom of La Liga having failed to win any of their opening four matches.

Rodri, who claimed the Ballon d'Or after helping Spain lift the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy, addressed the controversy following Barcelona's 5-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Feyenoord on Wednesday.

Rodri's apology

"I apologised to my friend and colleague Jose Gaya — Spain defender and Valencia captain — and to the entire squad as well," Rodri said. "I also want to make it clear that it was simply an expression of surprise — anyone watching the video can see that. At no point did I intend to mock anyone or take a difficult moment for a team out of context."

The Barcelona midfielder stressed that his intentions were misread. "Quite the opposite — we all want Valencia to return to where it belongs in the league. It is one of the best clubs in the competition. I simply wanted to say that," he added.

Rodri also raised the issue of privacy around the incident. "It was a private conversation. I think we should all learn a bit more from this, as things really do get taken out of context sometimes. But at no point did I mean any disrespect. My apologies to Valencia."