Didi Rodríguez
Didac Rodríguez, "Didi".
About me
My name is Didac Rodríguez González,“Didi”. I was born in Barcelona on February 20, 1985. I have a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and I have the UEFA PRO certification as a National Football Coach. I bring a wide experience both as a player and as a coach in some of the best soccer academies in Spain.
On a curricular level, it might seem like a very formal and professional presentation, but the reality is that there are millions of people more academically prepared than me. That’s why I prefer to simply tell you my story:
When I was a child, I dreamed of playing in the First Division (something very typical, of course, in any child who plays soccer). When I was only 9 years old, I was lucky enough to sign for FC Barcelona.
“What a talent you had, didn’t you?” you might think. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was a normal player, although I stood out for my speed. It was then that I heard a phrase that marked my way of seeing soccer:
"Signing for FC Barcelona is easy; the hard part is to keep it."
“Easy? How can it be easy when the best are here? “I thought. During 9 years at Can Barça I understood perfectly the meaning of those words. Throughout that time, the club was constantly bringing in probationary players to fill your position. Hundreds of kids were left out of the club every season, and the competition, both internal and external, was increasingly intense. It was 9 years – deu ni doas we say in Catalonia – of work, discipline and dedication. It was in that period where I not only developed my sporting skills, my talent (which never matched that of Messi, Iniesta or Piqué, with whom I was lucky enough to share a locker room) but also grew as a person and learned fundamental values.
After a season on loan at UE Cornellà, in División de Honor (oddly enough, my best season as an individual), the goal was to return to Barça to join the reserve team. However, the directors considered that I was not ready. A pity. So my next destination was Santander, where I spent three wonderful years with Racing. Although I alternated training and pre-season games with the first team, I never made my debut in the league, I suppose, in part, because the team was flirting with relegation.
Later, I signed for Atlético de Madrid, where I met some players who have not done badly, such as David de Gea or Koke.
Despite that frustrated opportunity, I managed to make my debut with the first team in the final of the Teresa Herrera tournament against Deportivo de La Coruña. “Ah, so you didn’t make your technical debut in the First Division, did you?” some would say. For 99.9% of the population I didn’t debut in the First Division, for my father and grandfather who accompanied me to every dirt field I did, and that 0.01% is the one that is in my heart.
I was called up to the first team for a league match against Murcia, and everything seemed lined up for my debut after an injury to Agüero. Imagine my face warming up on the sidelines, seeing that there was no offensive player available to replace him. My heart was racing as I was doing “300” drills to make sure that good old Javier Aguirre I was ready. However, the 1-1 scoreline did not help, and Cleber Santanamay he rest in peace, ended up being the last change.
After Atlético de Madrid, I came close to signing for L.R Vicenza in the Italian Serie “B” but due to representation issues that are not relevant, I ended up having a brief spell with Slavia Sofia in the Bulgarian First Division, where, at least, I can say that I was the first Spaniard to score in that competition. I continued my career between Second Division B and Third Division until I decided to contribute my experience from off the field.
As a coach and physical trainer, I started in Primera Catalana with FC Santboià and then I joined Girona B for three seasons in which I learned and enjoyed a lot and was able to train players who are now First Division players such as Pau Víctor (FCBarcelona), Ramon Terrats (Villareal CF), Arnau Martínez (Girona FC) or Gabri Martínez (Sporting Club de Braga) among many others that are already playing in the Second Division or in the First RFEF and that I am convinced that in a very short time, we will see in the elite. At the same time, I combined my work with international companies to train foreign players in the competitive context of Spanish soccer.
Today I am still writing my story, would you dare to write yours together?