“Playing my first Champions League final is a very special moment”
MADRID, 24 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid winger Rodrygo Goes assured this Tuesday that he is “more useful as a starter”, after his great performance against Chelsea and Manchester City in the Champions League, contributing from the bench, while he confessed that this Champions League final Saturday (9:00 p.m.) is a “very special moment”, since it will be the first time he disputes.
“I think I’m more useful being in the starting eleven, but I always respect the coach’s decisions. If I’m not a starter I’ll also be happy. In the second half there are more spaces and that’s what happened in the other games, I’m here to help to the team, whether starting or coming on later”, the Brazilian told the media during the Media Day organized by the white club on the occasion of the final in Paris.
Thus, Rodrygo pointed out that he is “always” ready to help his teammates, although he insisted that as a starter he can “help the team a little more”, said the footballer, ‘hero’ in the semi-final second leg against City with two goals in just over a minute when the 90th minute of the game was reached, after having jumped onto the pitch in the 68th minute.
However, for Rodrygo the duel at the Santiago Bernabéu against Chelsea, corresponding to the second leg of the quarterfinals, was more “special”. “I always say that the game against Chelsea was very important. I needed to score more goals, and I scored against Chelsea and I became the Rodrygo that everyone knows, everything started to work out for me,” he revealed.
“I have lived the magical nights at the Bernabéu, but I want to live much longer. I want to be here all my life, I want to live many magical nights at the Bernabéu. I still haven’t fulfilled my dream, I want to fulfill it in every game”, he added about the comebacks this season.
The Brazilian, who has scored 5 goals in this edition of the Champions League, admitted to being “nervous” ahead of his first Champions League final. “I want the final to come. Playing my first Champions League final is a very special moment, we are very excited. We see the most experienced players who really want to win again, seeing that desire makes us want more. It’s a very special moment for the whole group,” he said.
One of those pillars for the Brazilian is Karim Benzema, “a very important player”, whom they “always” try to look for. “He helps me a lot in the locker room, he talks to me before the games, he gives me a lot of advice. I always try to listen to the most experienced, he has won many titles and has scored many goals. His best advice is to pass the ball to him, always that I give it to him brand”, he joked.
Finally, Rodrygo valued Kylian Mbappé’s decision to remain at PSG to reject the merengue team. “It’s difficult to talk about Mbappé, we don’t have to talk about him, he’s a PSG player, we have to be focused on the final, but it’s not an issue that doesn’t concern us,” he said.