INTERVIEW🎙️| Rodriguez on “Il Cagliari in diretta”

Juan Rodriguez is establishing himself as one of the reliable performers in Fabio Pisacane’s Cagliari side. The Uruguayan defender spoke to Radiolina during the programme “Il Cagliari in diretta”, reflecting on his adaptation to life in Sardinia, his relationship with his teammates and the team’s current form, as the Rossoblù look to bounce back from three consecutive defeats. Here are his words.

MAKING AN IMPACT AND SCORING AGAINST MILAN
“The first year was difficult as I had to adapt to a new team that was different from the one I was used to. After three months, I settled in through hard work. Scoring against Milan was incredible; I wasn’t expecting it!” he says, recalling the goal he scored on the final matchday of last season, helping the Rossoblù secure a win at San Siro.

CAGLIARI’S APPROACH
“I didn’t have any particular thoughts when Cagliari contacted me. My agent informed me, and then I arrived in Sardinia. A lot of Uruguayans have done well here, and they had told me it was a place you could really enjoy. I’ve since found that to be true.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE CITY
“Cagliari is a beautiful city, and the people are lovely. They greet you and show you their affection. That’s very important to me. Italian? I understand it, but it’s difficult.”

LEAVING HIS FAMILY BEHIND
“Leaving my family was difficult, but my dream was to play in Europe and in a competitive league, and then the opportunity came along. My loved ones are proud of me, they’ve visited the city, and I’m happy about that.”

HIS DEBUT AT BOSTON RIVER AND ANDREA COSSU
“Andrea Cossu is a great guy. I’m really pleased to have met him and to have crossed paths with him during my journey. At first, I didn’t know he was keeping an eye on me. Then he told me he had come to watch a few matches. On that occasion, my agent kept telling me not to get booked in the first half: I received a yellow card after just 12 minutes, and by half-time I was on the bench,” he recalls with a smile

THE ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK
“I made a mistake against Hellas Verona in the Coppa Italia. I had played a good game, but then one mistake ends up affecting everything, starting with the judgments people make. We know we have to analyse ourselves and keep testing ourselves from one game to the next: a match can change at any moment, just as a season can take a different direction in an instant.”

RELATIONSHIP WITH TEAMMATES AND MINA
“I get along well with everyone, but I’ve become particularly close to Mina. He’s South American, we play in the same area of the pitch, and we exchange ideas. Then there’s Kevin Carlos, who speaks Spanish, as well as Zé Pedro. I really get along well with everyone.”
An important point of reference, especially during his first few months in the Rossoblù shirt, has been Yerry Mina himself. “He’s a great guy and always wants to help others. He took me under his wing when I arrived. At first, I wanted to go back home because I was struggling to settle in and with the language. Yerry helped me a lot in that respect: he’s someone I can look up to.”

PLAYING STYLE
“I see myself as someone who’s aggressive on the pitch, in a sporting sense, but I know I also have qualities beyond just “garra”. I like to carry the ball forward, play passes between the lines and win the ball back by pressing aggressively, aiming to become as complete a player as possible.”

CAGLIARI’S CURRENT FORM
“We’re going through a less positive spell than a few weeks ago, having suffered three consecutive defeats. We have to work hard to get back to winning ways after a good start. Something changed after Monza, and we have to give everything we have to turn things around in terms of results.” On the team’s attitude: “It was a difficult game at the Brianteo. After going 1-0 down, we struggled, and they took advantage of that. It’s true that our attitude was different after that match, but we have to keep working to improve and eliminate our mistakes.”

LAZIO
“Lazio are a strong team and currently top of the league. It will be difficult, but we have to try to come away with a positive result.”

A CONVERSATION WITH DIEGO LOPEZ
An emotional moment follows when a surprise guest joins the conversation: on the phone is “El Jefe” Diego Lopez, a Cagliari legend and an iconic figure for all the Uruguayans who have recently passed through Sardinia. The long-distance encounter with Juanchi is a truly moving one. “Lopez was a great defender. He keeps in touch with me and means a lot to us. We’ll definitely talk, and if I ever go through a difficult spell, I know he’ll be there for me.”
Rodriguez also greatly appreciates the former Rossoblù player’s attention to his fellow Uruguayans. “It’s incredible. You can see that he wants to help Uruguayans, and he does a lot to build their self-confidence.”

THE NATIONAL TEAM AND NANDEZ
“As a child, I dreamed of wearing Uruguay’s shirt! It was an incredible feeling. Nandez? He asked me for a Cagliari shirt. He did well in Sardinia, and people here still remember him fondly.”

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
The full interview with Juan Rodriguez is available on Radiolina’s official Facebook page.