Robert Lewandowski has given his verdict on Rodri’s Barcelona role, and it could hardly be warmer. Speaking to Radio Marca, the former Blaugrana striker said the Spain midfielder brings exactly the quality Hansi Flick‘s squad had been missing — on the same morning a separate report claimed Barcelona’s coaching staff have already decided he cannot be an ever-present.
Rodri arrived at the Spotify Camp Nou this summer from Manchester City in a deal worth around €60m, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner and the man rated the outstanding performer of the World Cup final Spain won in July. Expectation followed him through the door. Whether the reality of his first season matches it is now a live debate.
What Lewandowski said about Rodri’s Barcelona role
“He’s a player who knows what the team needs, how to play going forward, but also how to contribute a little more in defence,” Lewandowski told Mundo Deportivo, in comments made at a promotional event. “It’s the kind of experience I think this team needs.”
He went further on Rodri’s record at the top level: “He’s a player who has been performing at the highest level not just at the World Cup, but for many years now.”
The 38-year-old, who left Barcelona this summer after four seasons and now plays for Chicago Fire in MLS, made clear he is still watching. “I’m a cold guy, I’m not a very emotional man, but in my heart I still support Barcelona,” he said. “They were four very beautiful years for me. I’m always there to support and help FC Barcelona and my former team-mates. But there comes a moment when you have to do something else, take a new step, and now I’m very happy. I hope that in the end I can also celebrate some trophies with Barcelona from here.”
The workload question nobody at Barça is answering out loud
The counterweight came from a television studio in Madrid. Journalist Quim Domenech, speaking on El Chiringuito TV and cited by Barça Universal, said: “I’m not sure Rodri will be a regular starter at Barça. The coaching staff are convinced he can’t play 60 matches in a season.”
That is a claim rather than a club statement, and it should be read as one. But it is not an attack on his ability. The argument is about physical capacity across a campaign that will run through La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, with Spain’s international windows stacked on top — and it lands against the backdrop of the knee trouble that interrupted his time at Manchester City.
Rodri himself has spoken repeatedly, and publicly, about the toll of an inflated fixture list and the need to protect his body. If Flick’s staff are planning to save him for the matches that decide seasons rather than start him against everyone, that is less a demotion than an insurance policy on a €60m asset.
What it means for Flick’s midfield
It also reframes how deep this midfield actually needs to be. Rodri, wearing the No.16 after Barcelona confirmed their 2026/27 squad numbers, has been eased in rather than thrown in, and his first start came alongside Marc Bernal in a pairing that hinted at how Flick sees the balance.
With Frenkie de Jong out long term, the rotation load falls on Pedri, Fermín López, Dani Olmo, Bernal and Brian Fariñas, with Gavi working his way back. Managing Rodri only works if the players behind him can carry the weeks he sits out.
The next test of the theory arrives at Mestalla against Valencia when La Liga resumes after the international break. Lewandowski’s read is that the Blaugrana have signed a footballer who knows what the team needs. The more interesting question this season may be how often Flick lets him show it.
