Rodri: The details may decide the Champions League. In a difficult group you have to do well yourself first

After last season's Champions League final

Rodri: "We had a great season last season because we achieved some big things and we are proud of what we have achieved. Last season was the first time we reached the Champions League final and everyone in the squad was full of hunger and experience and we have no regrets."

"We are proud and happy for what we have done and will learn from this experience. Little things can make a difference in the Champions League. We have to keep working hard and the game against Leipzig will be the first step towards this."

How Manchester City need to improve from these experiences

Rhodri: "It's always positive. I can't remember many players who had a great first few years and I think City are getting better every year."

"If we can identify ourselves and set an ultimate goal to achieve this season, our goal is to reach the Champions League final again. We have more experience now and have to keep going and keep working hard. We also need a bit of luck and I'm pretty sure we'll have another great season."

English football is going through its best years

Rodri: "With the Champions League, the Europa League finals, there is no doubt. It was different six years ago, when the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid had more influence. There is no change in the tournament now, it depends on what people think."

"I know that English football, the Premier League, is getting stronger every year. I always say that the Premier League has a little Super League in it. There are many good teams. I think the Champions League is so different, the teams here come from different countries and different leagues with different styles of play, and we need to concentrate 100% on our own thing."

On whether Manchester City must win the Champions League

Rhodri: "I don't know. You can't force it, but it's a dream for all of us. It was an incredible event, and there was only one winner. We have to concentrate on ourselves and the season because the Champions League is always decided at the end of the season and it is not good to think too much."

"Because this is our dream and this club has been working towards this dream for the last ten years, we have shown our desire to fight for the title and we have acted on it. But in the end it depends on a lot of things and in the end it could be the little things that make the difference in the title race, so we have to keep working hard and make sure we play like we did last season."

On whether all four Premier League teams are favourites to win the title

Rodri: "It's a very tough tournament and any team will have a chance to eliminate you, that's the reality. We are up against a German team with very good players and a very special way of playing."

"They have the quality to compete with all teams and they have shown they can beat anyone. It's going to be tough in this group and our goal is to get to the final, but of course it's not easy. It's not a good idea to talk about it now. You have to pay more for it and take it one step at a time. We are in a difficult group. Tomorrow's game is our first step in the Champions League. We should not be thinking about the final.

On losing the Champions League final last season

Rhodri: "For myself, I couldn't talk to my family and friends for three days. You look bad on your face but that's football and it's up to the players to adjust. You win and you lose on the pitch and we need to move on and learn more in defeat than in victory."

On Gralish

Rhodri: "He was young. He had just celebrated his 26th birthday. He played for Aston Villa and may lack a bit of Champions League experience, but that doesn't matter. The team needs him, his skill level, the way he fits in."

Talk about the group

"They always say we can get a good group, but the reality is that this year we are in a very difficult group. All we have to do is be ourselves, and I can't say any more. We are about to take the first step. The first game is always the most important and winning it will set us up well. It would be nice to win the first two or even three games because we can relax a little bit, but it's not easy." Manchester City midfielder Rodri told the club's website that university was the best time of his life so far.

For the last two years of his La Liga career, and for the first two years after joining Manchester City in 2019, the classy midfielder enrolled at his university Castellion in eastern Spain. That meant he had to work hard in the classroom while playing professional football. The 26-year-old midfielder not only excelled at Villarreal and Atletico before joining City, but also has a degree in business administration.

It was while studying at university that he met his girlfriend Laura. Rhodri says continuing education is a unique experience. He said: "For me, this is the best time of my life. Hang out with young people like you, sometimes studying, sometimes going out together. That's good... It's very enjoyable. It was interesting because I met her [Laura] in the student house and she was studying medicine."

"She thought: 'What is this guy doing here? 'I saw her when I was in the Villarreal Under-21 team and I started playing professionally like that. She was also a little shy when we met because she didn't want people to talk about it. What was it like, you know, about 400 students all together."

"I always say the same thing: 'This is a unique experience in your life and you have to keep going. 'Learning is one of the best things, I think when you're in school it can be a bit boring sometimes, but when you start playing professionally it feels so good because it gives you a freedom of choice: the freedom to learn what you want to learn, the freedom to meet who you want to meet."

"It was a great time, I had four unbelievable years. I go to class two afternoons because I have to train in the morning. I try to go to class every day, and then in college, it's very different than in primary and secondary school. You don't have to take all the courses, or you only have one exam, usually in January, so you can organize your own study. It's cool."

"I like going to school because when I'm done training, it's good to open up my mind and do other things and maybe take my mind off the stress and some of the things that are hard to deal with sometimes."

His move to Manchester City came shortly after the coronavirus pandemic brought a stoppage in games. Although it was an experience he had never experienced before, he revealed that the lockout had also been very helpful to his studies in the UK. "All of a sudden we have an outbreak," he said. It sounds bad, but on the bright side, the exam was switched to online, otherwise I would have had to go back to Spain. And that's a good thing. So I passed the exam early because I had the opportunity to study online. Not to take classes, of course, but to try distance learning. But it's all the same."

"I graduated last year, so now I'm free, but it was a great time for me."