City's man for all occasions.could be named world No 1
The Independent|September 18, 2024
Rodri may be first defensive midfielder to win Ballon d'Or
RICHARD JOLLY
City's man for all occasions.could be named world No 1

There has been one goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, and a trio of defenders, though Fabio Cannavaro was more of a stopper than the German midfielders, Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer, who were converted into sweepers. But there has never been a defensive midfielder. The Ballon d’Or is almost seven decades old and Rodri, the man who earned Manchester City their first Champions League, could be a history maker in another respect.

A trophy that had seemed the private property of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for a decade and a half may have an unlikely winner. Rodri ranks as second favourite, behind Vinicius Junior, for a prize he never imagined he might secure.

But then why would he? The Ballon d’Or has tended to be reserved for forwards and flair players. His job description entails unselfishness. The defensive midfielder is constructed to allow others to get the glory. And yet the paradox of Rodri is that he has reached such a standard, achieved so much himself for his respective teams, that the spotlight has shone back onto him.

As City open their Champions League campaign, it is with a reminder of a moment that propelled Rodri into contention: a few years ago, when debating who Ronaldo and Messi’s successor would be, few would have suggested a player hired to be a solid support act to the glitzier talents in Pep Guardiola’s ranks. But when they faced Internazionale in the final in 2023, Rodri’s goal was decisive.

Denne historien er fra September 18, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra September 18, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE INDEPENDENTSe alt
It's the unmade Rocky film with a twist... roll up, folks
The Independent

It's the unmade Rocky film with a twist... roll up, folks

There is no hate, no love, the gloves are big and the rounds will be short when Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight on Friday night.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 12, 2024
While rivals hit the buffers, Liverpool deserve their lead
The Independent

While rivals hit the buffers, Liverpool deserve their lead

Alexis Mac Allister can have a footballing eloquence. His job involves reading the game.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 12, 2024
United's ship steadied, now Amorim hits deeper waters
The Independent

United's ship steadied, now Amorim hits deeper waters

It may be the way all Manchester United managers imagine their reign ending.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 12, 2024
Supermarket shoppers will soon find ‘every little hurts'
The Independent

Supermarket shoppers will soon find ‘every little hurts'

Is chancellor Rachel Reeves’s decision to hike employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) about to hit us all – and right in the supermarket baskets?

time-read
3 mins  |
November 12, 2024
Barclays warns tax rise will hit workers' living standards
The Independent

Barclays warns tax rise will hit workers' living standards

Business leaders accuse government of betraying the nation’

time-read
4 mins  |
November 12, 2024
How Gary Barlow became accidental king of memes
The Independent

How Gary Barlow became accidental king of memes

The singer is currently enjoying a load of nice days out’ on his new travel show. It’s the latest step in his reinvention as an inadvertent icon of hun culture’, says Katie Rosseinsky

time-read
4 mins  |
November 12, 2024
Brothers grim: on the dark world of Nineties boybands
The Independent

Brothers grim: on the dark world of Nineties boybands

As anew documentary series reveals what it was really like to ride the pop train to stardom, Jessie Thompson remembers her own youthful obsession and looks behind the curtain

time-read
9 mins  |
November 12, 2024
Cast iron catnip for Gen Z's aspirations of adulthood
The Independent

Cast iron catnip for Gen Z's aspirations of adulthood

Police had to be called after hundreds of frenzied shoppers descended on a cookware sale this weekend. Helen Coffey dons oven gloves to tackle the LeCreuSlay phenomenon

time-read
5 mins  |
November 12, 2024
'Some boys wet themselves, some wanted their mothers'
The Independent

'Some boys wet themselves, some wanted their mothers'

Reckless exposure to atomic weapons tests left young men and later, their children suffering from debilitating illness and disability. Zoé Beaty reports on the long fight for justice

time-read
6 mins  |
November 12, 2024
Why India's trainee doctors are hoping for more bodies
The Independent

Why India's trainee doctors are hoping for more bodies

Logistical hurdles and cultural sensitivities are affecting the donation of cadavers, so medical students are forced to train on anatomical models or simulations, reports Namita Singh

time-read
8 mins  |
November 12, 2024