Among other topics, Rodrigues discussed his abrupt exit from the national football team in connection with a domestic violence court case. He said it was not fair that he had been punished twice, by the court and by the Luxembourg Football Federation.
On Luxembourg’s current form, Rodrigues commented that they lacked a striker who can score goals, accusing them of preferring to lose rather than have him return to the team. He said he would however be ready to come back if the Federation were to approach him.
Rodrigues was convicted of three counts of assault and battery in March 2024, sentenced to an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
He has struggled to hold down spots at clubs, joining his nineteenth club in September. But the forward says he doesn’t count his teams and doesn’t worry about it too much in his quest for happiness.
During his first stint in Ukraine, at Dynamo Kyiv, Rodrigues spoke Russian above all. Now he hopes to improve his Ukrainian – his current club also plays in Kyiv rather than eastern Ukraine due to the war.
He attributes his frequent moves to his poor behaviour and lack of the right attitude. Now, at 31, he says he wants to concentrate on football, reduce his partying and drinking, and step away from excess.
The interview was held in English but dubbed into Ukrainian when it aired. RTL used AI in order to translate for the Luxembourgish version of this article. The original podcast can be found here.
