"Real Madrid are mocking us": Perez in the firing line after collapse of Rodri deal

The sudden twist that has sent Rodri to Barcelona rather than Real Madrid has caused widespread anger within the Real Madrid camp, with Florentino Perez facing sharp criticism over the way the club handled the Manchester City player's file.

Rodri had been close to a move to the Bernabeu in recent weeks. Then Barcelona entered the negotiations forcefully and changed the course of the deal, with the player settling on a switch to the Catalan club.

The turnaround provoked great displeasure among a number of those close to Real Madrid, who believe the club squandered a deal that should have been sealed, only to find themselves facing their traditional rivals, who snatched the player in the final moments.

Morientes attacks Real Madrid's management

Fernando Morientes, the former Real Madrid striker, ranks among the most prominent critics of the way the deal was managed. He launched a strong attack during his appearance on the programme "El Partidazo" on "Cadena COPE" radio.

Morientes said, as reported by the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo": "It is a bad joke. Real Madrid's management is making fun of us a little. It is clear that Real Madrid did not want Rodri."

The former Real Madrid star justified his position by stressing that the club does not usually deal with major transfers in this way, adding: "Real Madrid does not delay in situations like this. Perhaps it delays in a deal for a 14-year-old right-back, but not with players of this calibre."

"When Real Madrid wants a player, it signs him"

Morientes went on, stressing that Real Madrid did not throw everything at the deal. He was not convinced by the attempt to pin the responsibility on Rodri for choosing Barcelona because of its style of play.

He said: "Real Madrid did not put everything it had on the table. And now they are trying to place the responsibility on Rodri, and to say that he wanted to move to Barcelona because of the style of play. For anyone who knows football, this is a bad joke."

He added: "When Real Madrid wanted such deals, it succeeded in completing them. Figo came, Zidane came, Owen came, Ronaldo came... so no one should come to me now and say that Rodri wanted to play somewhere else."

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