Real Betis winger Rodri Sanchez is starting to squeeze his way into more and more starting line-ups in Seville, as he looks to make good on his potential. The 23-year-old has not had an easy route to La Liga football though.
Growing up in Extremadura, without a major football club to come through at, Rodri was forced to seek his fortunes further a field. He would initially head to Atletico Madrid, before Barcelona, Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruna, eventually landing at his current club Real Betis. Between those sides and his home town, Rodri more or less covered three of Spain’s four corners.
“In Extremadura there was little football and I had to move. The sacrifice of my parents was important to be able to go to Madrid and back every day. I appreciate it so much,” he told Marca.
They pointed out that it was a long way to drive for his parents to get to the Atletico academy from Extremadura. It was something that he felt perhaps that they could have helped by placing him in the club accommodation.
“Yes, it was 200(km) one way and 200(km) back for two years. Four days a week plus a match. They took a risk, it went well and from there Espanyol signed me while I was at Canillas. Then I signed for Atletico and the same thing because they didn’t give me residence. Four days a week plus a match. Then I decided something more stable like Espanyol.”
“It’s hard. People are used to being with their friends or family, but I couldn’t because after school I would go to Madrid by car and come back at one in the morning to sleep. Wake up and go. Like that every day. You don’t have a childhood, you have what you can, but the sacrifice is there and the reward is important. In life everything is equal.”
While it is understandable that clubs have limited places in their accommodation for academy players, it certainly raises an eyebrow that Los Colchoneros did not think that someone located 200km was in need of a place, if they were to sign them. As it was, everything worked out for Rodri, but more often than not, that childhood is lost without any recompense.
