Manchester City supporters have reacted strongly after Rodri opened up about his decision to leave the club and join Barcelona, with several fans making it clear that they have little interest in looking back.
The midfielder admitted that he once expected to finish his career at Manchester City. Rodri said City had given him everything and that he had enjoyed one of the greatest generations in English football alongside Pep Guardiola. However, after the 2026 World Cup, he reflected on his future and concluded that another experience would be better for him. Barcelona ultimately became his choice.
That explanation quickly prompted a wave of reactions from City supporters following a City Xtra post discussing Rodri’s comments.
Some fans responded emotionally. Others were far more dismissive. And one recurring theme stood out: many Manchester City supporters believe the club has already moved into its next era.
Rodri says he expected to finish his career at Manchester City
Rodri’s latest comments have inevitably reopened discussion about his departure from Manchester City.
The Spain international spent seven seasons at the Etihad after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019. Under Guardiola, he developed into one of the defining midfielders of his generation and became a central figure during City’s period of domestic and European success.
His most famous City moment came in the 2023 Champions League final, when his goal against Inter Milan delivered the club’s first European Cup.
But his City chapter eventually came to an end.
Rodri explained that he never initially imagined leaving.
“I always thought I was going to finish my career at #ManCity.”
He also praised his time in Manchester, saying he had been happy and had experienced an exceptional period in English football.
However, the departure of Guardiola represented an important turning point in his thinking.
Rodri said there had been a “cycle change” and that, after the World Cup, he reflected on his future before deciding another experience would be better.
Barcelona became that next destination.
The move has since given Rodri a new challenge in La Liga, with the midfielder beginning another chapter under Hansi Flick.
City fans were not exactly feeling nostalgic
The reaction from Manchester City supporters was strikingly different from Rodri’s reflective comments.
One fan, James Trafford biggest fan #HaalandBallonDor2026, reduced the situation to a simple question:
“So he left cause pep left”
That comment received significant engagement, reflecting a suspicion among some supporters that Guardiola’s departure played a major role in Rodri’s decision.
Another supporter, memchi, made the same point:
“He left because pep left”
The comments suggest that some fans interpreted Rodri’s explanation through the wider transition happening at Manchester City.
Guardiola’s departure marked the end of a major era at the club, while Enzo Maresca has now taken charge and begun shaping his own Manchester City team.
For supporters, that distinction matters.
The Manchester City of Rodri’s prime was built around Guardiola’s footballing ideas. The Manchester City of today is being developed under Maresca.
“We moved on pal”
Perhaps the clearest theme in the reaction was that many fans simply do not want to revisit the past.
One supporter wrote:
“Zero cares. We moved on pal”
That post attracted heavy engagement.
Another fan said:
“I don’t care，Anderson and Enzo are better right now，We need to look forward”
That reaction is particularly interesting because it reflects the changing midfield picture at Manchester City.
Rodri was once the undisputed reference point in the position. Now, supporters are watching Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernández and other midfield options develop under Maresca.
The arrival of Fernández has also added another major name to City’s midfield rebuild, while Anderson has quickly become a player attracting considerable attention.
As a result, some fans appear more interested in what comes next than what has already happened.
Some supporters still respect the City legend
Not everyone reacted negatively.
There were also supporters who wished Rodri well and remembered his contribution to the club.
One fan, Vesano, simply wrote:
“All the best legend!!!!!”
That response represents another side of the conversation.
Whatever supporters think about Rodri’s decision to leave, his Manchester City legacy is difficult to separate from the club’s greatest modern achievements.
He was a key part of the team that won the Champions League, Premier League titles and other major trophies during Guardiola’s reign.
Therefore, there remains a clear distinction between disappointment over his departure and appreciation for what he achieved at City.
Both reactions can exist at the same time.
“You vanished when we needed you most”
Other supporters were considerably less forgiving.
One particularly emotional response came from MGE., who wrote:
“You vanished when we needed you most 🥲”
That comment reflects a lingering frustration surrounding the timing of Rodri’s departure.
For supporters, the issue is not simply that one of the world’s best midfielders left. It is also about what his departure represented.
Rodri had become synonymous with Manchester City’s midfield control. Losing him meant the club had to rebuild one of the most important positions on the pitch.
The transition has therefore inevitably influenced how some fans remember his final period at the club.
“Who cares we dont miss you bro”
Another supporter, Nico, was even more direct:
“Who cares we dont miss you bro”
The comment received substantial engagement and captured the bluntness of social-media football discussions.
There was also a similar response from Stany, who wrote:
“I forgot that you once played for City”
These comments are obviously emotional reactions rather than an objective measure of how Manchester City supporters collectively feel.
Still, they demonstrate how quickly football fandom can move on after a major player leaves.
Rodri’s importance to City may have been enormous during his time at the club, but supporters are now watching a different midfield and a different manager.
The “Camp Nou” comments tell another story
Barcelona’s involvement also became a target of the reaction.
One supporter joked:
“Talk at the camp nou”
That response points toward the reality of Rodri’s new footballing life.
Barcelona is no longer simply a transfer destination in this story. It is the club Rodri chose after deciding that his Manchester City cycle had reached its conclusion.
Reports surrounding the move have also highlighted the sporting considerations behind his decision, with Rodri explaining that he wanted to choose the environment where he believed he could continue winning and developing.
For City fans, however, the details of why he chose Barcelona may matter less than what Manchester City does next.
“Anderson and Enzo are better right now”
The most forward-looking reaction came from the supporter who mentioned both Anderson and Fernández.
Their comment was:
“I don’t care，Anderson and Enzo are better right now，We need to look forward”
That sentiment fits the broader transition at Manchester City.
The club is no longer simply trying to recreate Guardiola’s team. Maresca has inherited a squad that must evolve under a new tactical and managerial identity.
The midfield is therefore one of the most fascinating areas of the new era.
Rodri’s departure created a huge vacancy. Anderson provides energy and mobility, while Fernández brings his own qualities and experience after his move to Manchester City.
Whether either player ultimately reaches the same level of influence Rodri had at his peak remains a question for the season ahead.
But that is precisely the point made by many of the supporters reacting to Rodri’s comments.
The future has already started.
City fans are split between gratitude and moving forward
The reaction to Rodri’s comments ultimately reveals two different emotions among Manchester City supporters.
One group remembers the midfielder fondly and recognises the enormous contribution he made during one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
Another group believes that once a player decides to leave, the club and supporters have to move forward.
The comments such as “All the best legend” sit alongside “We moved on pal” and “Zero cares”.
That contrast is significant.
Rodri may still speak warmly about his Manchester City years, but the club he left is no longer exactly the same club he knew.
Guardiola is gone. Maresca is now leading the team. New midfielders have arrived. New players are being asked to establish themselves.
And Manchester City supporters are already looking toward what comes next.
The Rodri chapter is over
Rodri’s comments may have reopened an old conversation, but the reaction from City supporters suggests that many are not interested in reopening the chapter itself.
There is appreciation for what he accomplished.
There is frustration about how he left.
There is curiosity about why Guardiola’s departure influenced his thinking.
And there is a growing sense that Manchester City must now build its future without him.
For some supporters, Rodri will always be remembered as one of the defining players of the Guardiola era.
But for others, the message is much simpler: thank you for the memories, but Manchester City has already moved on.
And with Maresca now leading the post-Guardiola era, the next chapter at the Etihad is already being written.
