Pedrerol, Casillas and Ronaldo: Behind the scenes with Spanish football's top insider
Rodrigo Fáez reveals the high-stakes world of Spanish football journalism, from breaking Ronaldo's Madrid exit to nerve-wracking confrontations with stars and pioneering YouTube content.
Spanish football’s most connected reporter lifts the lid on a decade of scoops, confrontations and changing the media landscape.
The man with the mochila
Imagine getting the biggest scoop in Spanish football - Cristiano Ronaldo announcing he’s leaving Real Madrid - then watching one of his teammates “cussing him and his family” off-mic moments later. That’s just another day in the life of Rodrigo Fáez, the Spanish football journalist whose new book “La mochila lo es todo” chronicles his remarkable journey from Gijón to ESPN’s Connecticut studios.
The book’s title comes from a pivotal moment with his former boss Josep Pedrerol, who repeatedly told a confused young Fáez: “I hired you for the mochila, the mochila, the mochila.” The youngster initially thought Pedrerol wanted his actual backpack before realising it was a metaphor for adventure and journalistic spirit.
Breaking Ronaldo’s bombshell
Fáez’s biggest career moment came in Kiev after the 2018 Champions League final when Ronaldo dropped his Madrid exit bombshell in an ESPN interview. The scoop wasn’t just luck:
- A mutual friend tipped him: “If I were you, I’d try to find Cristiano after the match”
- Ronaldo unexpectedly revealed his departure plans
- It was “the last time he spoke as a Real Madrid player”
- A teammate was so shocked he unleashed a tirade of abuse about Ronaldo off-camera
The Casillas confrontation
Not all scoops go smoothly. After a heated Clásico during the Mourinho era, Fáez overheard Casillas telling a referee: “Go party with them, go party with them, that’s all that’s left - to party with them.”
After reporting this comment, Fáez endured “the longest 10 minutes” of his career waiting for Casillas to potentially deny everything in the mixed zone. To his relief, the goalkeeper admitted the comment - showing the high-stakes nature of Spanish football reporting.
YouTube pioneer
Fáez was among the first traditional journalists to embrace YouTube in 2015, recognizing younger audiences weren’t connecting with television. His “24 hours with…” format has become his signature:
“For me, getting a player to do a ‘24 hours’ is much easier with YouTube than with any traditional media. It’s journalism focused on anecdotes and stories, a different and closer way of communicating.”
After a decade building his channel, Fáez has interviewed nearly every major star in world football - with only Haaland and Mbappé left on his wishlist.
The secret to access
What’s his approach with football’s biggest stars? “I respect my grandmother or sister much more than any footballer because I know what they’ve been through. Just because someone earns millions doesn’t mean you have to treat them differently or suck up to them.”
This authenticity has earned him genuine friendships within football - a testament to his ability to see beyond the celebrity and connect with the person behind the fame. Not bad for a lad who once faked his ID at 15 to get into a media course in Asturias.