"My wife is a ten, without her I wouldn't have fulfilled my dreams"

Sant Joan DespíThe world keeps turning, and he's back at El Born. This is what Javi Rodríguez (Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 1974) has done. After stints in Hungary, Ukraine, and Kuwait, he returned home this summer to lead Barça to the top of futsal. "I know all eyes are on the Barça bench, but I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible. There's pressure on someone who doesn't have a job, who can't feed their children, and has to get up at seven in the morning to go to work without knowing what they'll have at home," he tells ARA.

This Wednesday at 7 p.m., he'll visit Industrias Santa Coloma's court for the Copa del Rey round of 16, "a team objective." It will be the first time Javi Rodríguez—who was both a player and coach for the Santa Coloma team—visits the Pavelló Nou as Barça's coach. He did so previously while managing ElPozo Murcia, but a derby is always special. "I've received messages, but mostly asking for tickets. The truth is, I'm not one to be constantly checking my phone, especially in the days leading up to a match. I want to focus on my work and try to disconnect from everything else," Rodríguez explains.

During his time as a player, the current coach was instrumental in the growth of the futsal section. "I signed for the club in 2006 when Laporta was president, and that was the year futsal turned professional." He spent six years at Barça, where he had the privilege, as captain, of lifting the first European Cup, the league title, the Spanish Cup, and the Copa del Rey. Thirteen years later, he has returned to the Palau Blaugrana, where he acknowledges that everything remains the same. "It's a privilege to be here; they give you all the tools you need to do your job well." Furthermore, he affirms that the commitment to the futsal section is unwavering: "People can say what they want, but we've never lacked anything in any section of the club."

Exotic Adventures

Before returning to Barça, Javi Rodríguez honed his skills in several countries. "Staying and coaching at the youth level wouldn't have helped me improve because the demands were minimal; you have the best players in Catalonia. However, if you go abroad, you see a different style of futsal, completely different customs, and you become a better player," he explains. He had adventures in Italy, Hungary, Ukraine, and Kuwait, which he had to undertake alone. "I'm lucky to have a wife who is a wellspring of strength, who has always been by my side and allowed me to go abroad alone to fulfill my dream while she stayed home taking care of our children. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been able to get where I am today."

However, the current Barça coach has always prioritized work-life balance. "The places I've gone to are because I had permission to return home at least every two weeks." In fact, this was one of the reasons he left Ukraine, ironically months before the outbreak of the war. "I'm in love with the country; it's a shame what's happening. Surely, if Industrias hadn't called me, I would have left Ukraine too because I needed to be closer to my family." However, the opportunity to return to Catalonia and regain visibility helped finalize his decision.

Previously, in Hungary, he had achieved a historic milestone after qualifying Győr for a final four of the Champions League, where they finished fourth after losing to Barça. "That only happened once in a lifetime and it will never happen again." In any case, Javi Rodríguez emphasizes the footballing gap between Spain and other countries. "The seriousness in this league is completely different: the formality, the arenas, it's a total change," he asserts.