Spain Manager Lauds Arsenal Star as Global Football Elite
Spain's national team manager Luis de la Fuente has made a bold declaration, asserting that Arsenal possess the second-best midfielder in world football. According to de la Fuente, this honor belongs to Martin Zubimendi, who trails only Manchester City's superstar Rodri in the global pecking order.
Rodri's Dominance and Zubimendi's Rise
Rodri has cemented his status as one of football's most influential figures over the past decade, instrumental in Manchester City's success. The 29-year-old has helped secure four Premier League titles, four domestic cups, and the Champions League for City. His individual accolades peaked in 2024 when he won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Manchester City player and only the second male Spanish player to achieve this feat.
De la Fuente unequivocally labels Rodri as "the best in the world" in his position. However, he emphasizes that his Spanish compatriot Martin Zubimendi is not far behind. Zubimendi has enjoyed a stellar debut season at Arsenal following his £60 million summer transfer from Real Sociedad. His performances have been pivotal in propelling the Gunners to a nine-point lead at the Premier League summit and maintaining challenges in two additional competitions.
Potential Partnership for Spain's World Cup Ambitions
The Spain manager addressed the potential selection dilemma ahead of this summer's World Cup, where both Rodri and Zubimendi will vie for a starting spot. De la Fuente insists the two could "play together" as Spain, the reigning European champions, pursue further silverware.
"After all the setbacks he went through, Rodri is back at a high level," de la Fuente told TVE ahead of Spain's friendly against Serbia. "I've said before that he is the best in the world, but also on those same occasions that we are very fortunate. After all, in that position, the number 6 role, we have the two best players in the world: Rodri and Martin [Zubimendi]."
He elaborated on their compatibility: "So I will get ahead of a question you are probably going to ask: can they play together? Of course they can play together. We can play that way perfectly well. In my idea of football, they may occupy a similar role, but they are different players with different characteristics."
De la Fuente highlighted Zubimendi's evolving game: "In fact, Martin is getting into the box more now and scoring goals, but he also has the qualities of a positional player, with balance and outstanding tactical awareness. Rodri has those same qualities too, so having them there gives us security, that kind of structure."
Recent Clash and Title Race Implications
The international teammates found themselves on opposing sides during Sunday's Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Rodri delivered a commanding performance for Manchester City, while Zubimendi was among several Arsenal players who underperformed. Manchester City emerged victorious with a 2-0 win, courtesy of a brace from Nico O'Reilly.
Despite this setback, Arsenal have an opportunity for redemption by maintaining their nine-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League title race. The psychological impact of the cup final on the title race remains uncertain. Rodri, however, emphasized City's resilience: "We knew today was a very important match, not only because of what the title means but also because of what it means to beat the team in best form. It's a game not only for this title but to show that we can beat them. There's still a long way to go and it's clear we didn't want to get off the Champions League train. We've been eliminated but we have to look at the positive side that we have more time to prepare for the matches. That's an incentive to take into account and we'll fight until the end."
Arsenal's next Premier League fixture is a home match against Bournemouth on April 11, while Manchester City travel to Chelsea the following day.
