For months, Rodrygo Goes lived with an uncomfortable, almost silent feeling. The feeling of going unnoticed at the Santiago Bernabeu and living with the constant murmur. The feeling that, no matter what he did, the spotlight was on others. The feeling of seeing how the pitch, that capricious judge Xabi Alonso talks about, seemed to take everything away from him. But football, like life, always has an unexpected curve in store.

The more we engage with him, the better the subsequent play tends to be

Xabi Alonso sobre Rodrygo

While Gonzalo was dressing up as Mbappe to vindicate himself with goals, with a hat-trick of the real kind, as a pure number nine, the first criticisms were not long in coming. Some, pointing directly to the bench. To Xabi Alonso. But what happened only reinforced an idea that the coach had been defending for some time: work always finds its reward. The Basque never stopped betting on the youth player, even putting him ahead of Endrick and making decisions that were not always well received. But Kylian is Kylian. "This is football, the green puts you on, the green takes you off...", repeats Xabi. And that same principle explains, almost word for word, what is happening with Rodrygo

Green spoke again

Because the Brazilian has gone in a few months from being a silent discard to feeling important again. Since the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona last season, still with Carlo Ancelotti, Rodrygo was marked. With the arrival of Xabi Alonso, far from finding refuge, his situation worsened. Brahim Diaz, Gonzalo Ignacio, Mastantuono... all seemed to have a place before him. His role was reduced to odd minutes, to token appearances, to waiting for an opportunity that seemed never to come. But it did.The green spoke again. And this time it did so in his favor. Starting in four of the last five games (only in the Copa del Rey did he start from the bench), Rodrygo has responded with facts: two goals and three assists in that stretch. Beyond the numbers, he has recovered something even more valuable. Confidence, spark and influence in the team's play.

The match that could mark a turning point came in the Champions League, against Manchester City. It was not just any opponent, but one of the English clubs that has most often dreamed of signing him. Real Madrid never completely closed the door to a possible departure if a convincing offer came along. And Rodrygo stayed. To start from scratch. Again. That goal, after so many games without scoring, brought a smile back to his face.

A strategic asset

Since then, the change has been evident. More relaxed, more participative, more decisive. His ability to break the deadlock, his ability to appear when the game demands it and his offensive versatility have once again been differential. Xabi sums it up bluntly: "The more we connect with him, the better the subsequent play tends to be. We need him at his best and he has had a complete game"

In Valdebebas, they are clear that Rodrygo is once again a strategic asset. For what he brings today and for what he can still offer tomorrow. What is also evident is how a footballer's life can change in a matter of weeks. From feeling out of place to being key again. That's football. And the mind. The one that transforms entire careers in the blink of an eye.