Riki's Albacete exit leaves sour taste despite dream Depor move
Midfielder Riki Rodriguez reveals mixed emotions about his transfer to Deportivo La Coruña, admitting his departure from Albacete wasn't as amicable as he'd hoped.
New Deportivo signing Riki Rodriguez has opened up about the bittersweet nature of his long-awaited move to the Galician club, revealing his exit from Albacete wasn’t as clean as he’d have liked.
Complicated departure
The Spanish midfielder made no bones about it during his unveiling at Depor, describing his final days at Albacete as “complicated, stressful and tense.” Despite spending considerable time with his former employers and holding them in high regard, Rodriguez had his heart set on the move to Deportivo.
“I’ve always been sincere with them,” Rodriguez explained, noting that he’d made his intentions clear last summer when he informed Albacete of his desire not to renew his contract in favor of a move to Depor.
The transfer saga has apparently been bubbling away for several windows now, creating what Rodriguez acknowledges as significant expectations around his arrival. However, he’s keeping his feet firmly on the ground:
“I’m not a player who wins matches single-handedly - I’m here to help,” he stated pragmatically, promising to graft hard to meet the expectations placed upon him.
Calendar quirks
In a twist that football often delivers, Rodriguez could make his Deportivo debut against none other than his former club. Talk about awkward timing, or as the player himself put it, the fixture list can be “very capricious.”
There’s also a touch of disappointment for the midfielder, who missed out on Albacete’s recent Copa del Rey tie against Barcelona due to the transfer timing. The January window closed just before the match, meaning he couldn’t have one final hurrah with his old team against the Spanish giants.
Despite the complicated departure, Rodriguez showed his class by praising Albacete’s performance against Barça and wishing them well for the future - though presumably not when they face his new employers!
For Deportivo fans, they’ll be hoping their long-pursued target can help them continue their push up the Segunda División table as they aim to return to Spanish football’s top table where they belong.