Barcelona Legend Comes Out in Defence of Rodrygo Over Controversial WhatsApp Message

Barcelona Legend Comes Out in Defence of Rodrygo Over Controversial WhatsApp Message

  • Ex-Barcelona star Rivaldo has insisted that Rodrygo is on the same level as Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe
  • Rodrygo stirred up controversy with a WhatsApp message implying that he deserves more recognition after scoring on Sunday
  • The Brazilian was upset about the rise of the 'BMV' acronym—referring to Bellingham, Mbappe, and Vinicius, since it excludes him

Barcelona legend Rivaldo has defended Real Madrid forward Rodrygo de Goes after the 23-year-old's recent outburst on his WhatsApp channel.

Rodrygo seems to be upset about the rise of the 'BMV' acronym—referring to Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior—since it excludes him.

Barcelona legend comes out in defence of Rodrygo over controversial WhatsApp message.
Rivaldo has stated that Rodrygo is on the same level as Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe. Photos: Zhizhao Wu/Valerio Pennicino.
Source: Getty Images

Los Blancos have formed yet another star-studded attacking lineup, with World Cup winner Mbappe being the latest 'Galactico' to join the squad at Santiago Bernabeu.

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The La Liga champions began their title defence with a 1-1 draw last Sunday, marking the Frenchman's long-awaited league debut for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Despite Rodrygo's impressive opening goal, the star-studded quartet struggled to find their rhythm, with Bellingham seen delivering a stern message to his teammates at halftime.

After the match, the Brazil international stirred up controversy with a WhatsApp message implying that he deserved more recognition.

The message, which was later deleted, stated Rodrygo's frustration with the Spanish media's creation of a new 'BMV' acronym for Bellingham, Mbappe, and Vinicius, leaving him out.

Although the club has addressed the incident with Rodrygo, his fellow Brazilian Rivaldo believes his frustration is understandable. He said via Madrid Universal:

"He has plenty of reasons to complain given the tone, and how the press only talk about Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius. Rodrygo is a very important player at Real Madrid and should not be left behind by any of his teammates", as per an interview with Betfair.

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"Rodrygo is at the same level as Mbappe, Bellingham or Vinicius. He's been making the difference at Real Madrid for years."

What's next for Rodrygo's Real Madrid

Attention will now turn to how Ancelotti handles the situation. Pre-season concerns about an imbalanced squad seem increasingly valid as he aims to defend both the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles.

Real Madrid's next challenge is their first home game of the season against Real Valladolid on August 25, per Squawka.

Mbappe reacts to La Liga debut

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Mbappe opened up on social media after making his La Liga debut for Real Madrid.

Reflecting on the match, the France captain took to Instagram to express his disappointment with their 1-1 draw against Mallorca. However, he ended on a high note with a spirited "Hala Madrid," signalling his resolve to push ahead.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
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Isaac Darko (Sports Editor) Isaac Darko is a Sports Editor at Yen, boasting over 10 years of experience in the media industry. He has produced award-winning TV shows such as "Football 360" and "Sports XTRA" on ViaSat 1/Kwese TV. Isaac began his career as an Assistant Producer at TV3 Ghana Limited (Media General) and also contributed as a Writer and Weekend Editor for Pulse Ghana. He earned his bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now University of Media, Arts and Communication). Email: isaac.darko@sportsbrief.com.