It was not Haaland but his Man City teammate Rodri who was the best player in the Champions League last season.
Despite scoring 12 goals in 11 games for Manchester City on their way to winning the Champions League title in Istanbul in June, Erling Haaland was not named the Player of the Tournament.
Pep Guardiola’s team secured their first-ever Champions League title with a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan, completing their historic Treble. Although Haaland didn’t score in the final, he had an impressive debut season in City’s sky blue jersey in the competition, breaking several records in pursuit of his first European title.
During the round of 16 matches against RB Leipzig, Haaland’s scorching performance made him only the third player in the competition’s history to score five times in a single game. He also became the youngest player to reach 35 goals in the competition, accomplishing this feat in just 27 games across his stints with Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City.
Despite his outstanding run in the tournament, UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel chose to award the Player of the Tournament title to one of Haaland’s teammates. This honor went to Rodri, the 23-year-old’s steadfast defensive midfielder, who scored the decisive goal in the final, etching Manchester City into history.
Rodri has been a cornerstone of Guardiola’s team since he joined four years ago, often working quietly but effectively to anchor the midfield. Last season, the Spain international was called upon 56 times by his manager and missed only five matches on the path to the Treble, making more appearances than any other squad member, although Haaland came close.
UEFA praised their choice, highlighting Rodri’s ‘formidable tactical understanding’ and his ‘exceptional awareness of opposition pressure when receiving the ball’ as key attributes.
As Manchester City prepares for the 2023/24 campaign, Rodri humorously mentioned that he had watched his winning goal from the final ‘5,000 times’ in various languages including Spanish, English, German, and Italian. He expressed the joy of experiencing such moments, especially as a holding midfielder, where one might not often feel like a match-winner.
However, Rodri also raised concerns about the upcoming season’s fixture list, warning of the potential for player burnout due to the large number of domestic and international matches. He emphasized the need to monitor the situation, acknowledging that while it might be manageable for one season, consecutive seasons with a heavy load could negatively impact a player’s physical condition.
As he pointed out, at 30 or 31 years old, such demands might become unsustainable, given the lengthening football seasons. Adaptation to these changes is crucial.
The draw for the upcoming Champions League group stage matches is scheduled for August 31. As the winners and English champions, Manchester City will be drawn from Pot One.