Manchester City star Rodri says Pep Guardiola remains desperate to achieve even more success with the club.
Rodri scored the winner in June as City beat Inter 1-0 to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.
That victory in Istanbul secured a treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, making City only the second team – after the Manchester United side of the 1998-99 season – to achieve that feat.
City have now won five Premier League titles under Guardiola, having been champions for the last three campaigns, while they have won the FA Cup twice and the EFL Cup on four occasions.
Yet the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach remains hungry for more, so says Rodri.
When asked if Guardiola was the 'GOAT' manager, Rodri said: "I don't know. Of course, that's a question you have to ask people, what do you think about that?
"What we know is, he's been one of the greatest, for sure, and he's shown [that] everywhere he's been. And he has the hunger to go again.
"That's what can I say about him. He wants to win more things in the next year.
"So it's very, very good for us because this hunger is important for us to win again."
Indeed, City expect to reach a similar level of success next term, which for them starts on August 6, when they take on Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.
"To repeat it," Rodri said when asked what City's aims were for the coming season.
"When you start a season, we always want to win everything. It was one of the most iconic successes of the club in its history. We are very, very proud of what we did.
"But we know that a new season is coming with new goals. We expect to do it again, even though we know it's going to be very, very difficult.
"We start from the pre-season, from the first game to make the team go again and to reach the best level."
Arsenal led the way for long swathes of last season, but Guardiola's juggernaut picked up pace in the run-in and eventually finished five points clear of the Gunners.
"The last part of the season is when you fight for all the titles so that is when you have to show the best football you've got inside and it's something we know from the past," explained Rodri.
"We have the experience and know how to win the trophies in the last part and we know that you have to be the best of yourself. So that's the key.
"Arrive to this moment with options to fight and then give the best and to step forward and I think it's something that the team has understood.
"It's one of the things that identifies the mentality of the team all these years."
Erling Haaland's incredible form was crucial to City's success. The Norway striker netted a Premier League-record 36 goals, and added a further 16 across other competitions, including 12 in the Champions League.
Indeed, one of the only single-season records left for Haaland to break in English football is Dixie Dean's incredible haul of 63 goals, which has stood since the 1927-28 campaign.
"I want [him] to [break more records], of course," Rodri said of the 23-year-old.
"I hope he can break the record every year, even though I know what he did last season was unbelievable.
"He's become such an important player for us and he's growing a lot. I hope that he can be even better."
Everton shareholders demand a decision on takeover
Everton shareholders have urged Farhad Moshiri and the Premier League to make a decision on the future of the club.
The Toffees, who have been hit with two separate points deductions this season due to previous financial discrepancies, secured their Premier League status in April by beating Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford in the space of six days.
However, Everton remain in turmoil off the pitch, with majority shareholder Moshiri wanting out. He is aiming to sell the club to 777 Partners, a Miami-based investment firm that has stakes in several other clubs, including Genoa and Standard Liege.
There is no lack of controversy surrounding 777, though, and their co-founders Josh Wander and Steve Pasko.
It has been close to eight months since Moshiri confirmed his intention to sell his 94.1 per cent stake in Everton to 777, but so far the group has been unable to pass the Premier League's Owners' and Directors test.
While 777 has pumped over £200million into Everton to fund the day-to-day running of the club, it has now the subject of multiple lawsuits.
One of these lawsuits is by Leadenhall Capital Partners LLP and Leadenhall Life Insurance Linked Investments Fund plc, in New York.
Leadenhall claims Pasko and Wander "are operating a giant shell game at best, and an outright Ponzi scheme at worst".
On Tuesday, Everton's shareholders released a statement condemning the situation.
The statement read: "We are the oldest shareholders’ association in the world and are dismayed by the lack of respect being shown to our football club by the largest shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and the Premier League during what seems a never-ending change of ownership process.
"We have observed with concern and frustration as it became increasingly clear that a fit-for-purpose process cannot possibly take this long as the Premier League continues to demonstrate their inability to regulate.
"In the absence of the Premier League making a timely decision we insist that the Everton board, and Farhad Moshiri in particular, stop this damaging process now and recognise that 777 Partners are not at this time fit-and-proper prospective owners of Everton Football Club.
"The powers that be are being disrespectful to our fellow shareholders, our fantastic worldwide fanbase and football as a whole by continuing to allow this farce to continue. We demand a decision and we demand it now."
Everton face Sheffield United on Saturday before rounding out their season with a trip to Arsenal.
Thiago Silva to rejoin Fluminense when Chelsea contract expires
Thiago Silva will return to his boyhood club Fluminense when he leaves Chelsea at the end of the season, the Blues have announced.
Silva joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and has made 152 appearances for the club, helping them win the Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup.
The 39-year-old confirmed last month that he would leave upon the expiration of his contract in June, pledging to return "in another role" when his playing days are over.
However, that will not be for some time as the centre-back has agreed a two-year contract with Fluminense, who he first joined as a 14-year-old in 1998.
Initially finding opportunities hard to come by with the Rio de Janeiro giants, he had spells with Pedrabranca, Juventude and Dynamo Moscow before returning to Fluminense – initially on loan – in 2006.
He made his name with the club before joining Milan in a €10million deal in 2009, with that move kickstarting the defender's glittering career in European football.
Silva announced he was returning to Brazil on Instagram, posting an image of himself in a Fluminense shirt alongside the caption: "I'm coming home".
Chelsea said Silva will be allowed to train with Fluminense as soon as the Premier League season is over, before becoming eligible to represent the Brazilian side on July 1.
It was feared Silva may already have played his final game for Chelsea when he suffered a groin injury during their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa last month, but he was named in the starting lineup as they thrashed West Ham 5-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Silva has started 26 Premier League games for Chelsea this campaign, with the Blues conceding an average of 1.6 goals per game with him in their lineup, compared to two goals per match without him.
Man Utd keen to sell Greenwood amid Barcelona interest, claims Getafe president
Manchester United are keen to sell Mason Greenwood in the upcoming transfer window and could field interest from Barcelona, according to Getafe president Angel Torres.
Greenwood joined Getafe on a season-long loan deal in September and has scored eight goals and added six assists in 29 appearances in LaLiga in 2023-24.
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and was later charged with attempted rape and assault, with all charges against him dropped in February 2023.
United then conducted a six-month internal investigation into his conduct and said they recognised "the difficulties with him recommencing his career" with the club.
In February, speculation that Greenwood could yet return to Old Trafford was heightened when new minority shareholder Jim Ratcliffe said a "fresh decision" would be made on his future at the end of the season.
However, Getafe chief Torres claims the Red Devils are now keen to cash in on a player he hopes to keep at the Estadio Coliseum.
"If it depended on the player, his parents and the club, I think he would continue for another year," Torres said of Greenwood in an interview with RadioMARCA on Tuesday.
"Manchester United's idea is to sell if there is a good offer, we will have to wait. I think he will stay."
Reports had suggested both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were considering a move for Greenwood, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract with United.
Torres claims Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have been in touch about the 22-year-old, adding: "No one from Atleti has asked me about Greenwood.
"I spoke with [Atleti president] Miguel Angel [Gil Marin], but about other things. The only one who asked me about the player was Joan Laporta.
"I spoke with him and Deco and they asked me what he was like to get a sense of the player, but first they have to sell to buy, this is the problem with Spanish football."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
