Ronaldo? A nice guy
28.02.2025
“He’s quite cool. A nice guy,” says Slovak national goalkeeper Marek Rodák about the legendary Portuguese footballer. He also shares his thoughts on the successor to Steven Gerrard and what would help the team.
The news that broke early this weekend made headlines across all Slovak media. Marek Rodák’s team defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad, and the Slovak goalkeeper certainly made a name for himself in front of the football icon of the last two decades.
Specialized portal sofascore.com placed Rodák in the best XI of the recent round of the Saudi Pro League, with only four outfield players receiving a higher rating (8.4).
SPORT.sk spoke with the 28-year-old goalkeeper from Košice over the weekend to get his thoughts. The conversation mainly revolved around Ronaldo, but other topics were also discussed.
A big win for the whole club
You won away against the favored Al Nassr, with legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, in front of a full stadium. Is this your most valuable win since arriving in Saudi Arabia?
“Yes, you could say that. Overall, it’s a big win for the club. We haven’t been doing too well, and our previous results weren’t ideal. Hopefully, this win away against such an opponent will give us a boost, and we’ll move up the table.”
In the match, you were trailing twice, but you turned things around with two goals in the final ten minutes. The decisive goal came in the 89th minute from your captain and former Liverpool and PSG player, Georginio Wijnaldum. What was the match like from your perspective?
“The opponent had many chances in both the first and second halves, but we also had ours. When we got past the first four or five players, it worked. They didn’t track back, and we had plenty of counter-attacks. I felt that a good result was possible if we scored some goals and could defend them.”
Collisions with Ronaldo were inevitable
You conceded first after a header billiard from the players in front of you, and then after a powerful close-range header. Could more have been done in these situations?
“The first goal was quite unlucky. No one expected our player to head it into the head of an opponent, and then it deflected over me into the goal. The second was a header from a few meters, and our player jumped into the space late, blocking my view, so I couldn’t react in time. It’s a shame about these ‘silly’ goals because I was in good form and warmed up.”
According to the official stats, you made eight saves. Which one was the toughest?
“Probably in the first half when Ronaldo shot across the goal, between two players. That was pretty uncomfortable.”
You were also involved in a few collisions. Did this match hurt?
“I have some bruises on my thigh, and in both halves, I got hit pretty hard, but I couldn’t avoid it. At first, he was alone at the five-yard box and shot, so I threw myself at his feet. It was a 50-50 situation, either he scores or not.”
And the second one? The ball bounced off him, he went for a sliding tackle, and I dived as well, and we collided mid-air. It’s interesting that despite his age, he still goes for these challenges. You can tell he still wants to score goals.”
He got upset because of a teammate’s red card
Ronaldo, who celebrated his 40th birthday in early February, had five shots in the game. What impression did he leave on you?
“He still has a lot of football quality. He no longer has the same speed with the ball as he did in the past when he could beat three or four players on the wing, get into the box or in front of it, and score. Now he mostly looks for space for others to pass him the ball and then shoots.
He still has a great shot and good positioning, which is why he scores so many goals. It’s impressive that even at 40 years old, he can play football at this level.”
The Portuguese megastar is known for his winning mentality and explosiveness. At the end of the game, he angrily kicked the ball and gestured passionately at the referees. How did you perceive Ronaldo’s behavior?
“After our third goal, the home striker Jhon Durán got a pretty unnecessary and stupid red card, so Ronaldo was a little nervous. There was still plenty of time to equalize, as the referee added eleven minutes, and he didn’t like the idea of playing with a man down. It’s true that he lives and breathes football, plays at full intensity, and wants to win every game. He definitely doesn’t take it lightly.”
Did you communicate with him?
“Yes. I must say, he’s quite cool, a nice guy. After one of our challenges, he asked me to help him up, saying if I didn’t, it was no problem. He even complimented me on a good save. It was similar in the first game we played at home, where he also said something along those lines. I was pleasantly surprised.”
Gerrard’s successor fits the team’s style
Al Nassr is not just Cristiano Ronaldo. The club also has European champions like Aymeric Laporte, Sadio Mané, and Marcelo Brozović. Who impressed you the most?
“It’s hard to say. Of course, Mané is also a very quality player. Also, the new 77-million-euro signing Jhon Durán. He’s an unpleasant and very fast forward. The key thing was that we managed to match them. The guys in front of me played to the fullest, we had some luck, and it worked out for us.”
Al-Ettifaq has won three of the last four league matches, and you are currently in 9th place. Is the team improving in terms of performance?
“In the last few games, we’ve managed to score more goals, and our overall play has improved a bit. You can see the commitment and desire, which has led to better results. I believe it will continue this way, and we’ll move up the table.”
Even the one loss from the last four games, against the then-last-place team Al-Fateh, should have ended differently. It just goes to show that it’s a league where anyone can beat anyone, and every match is a battle for everything.”
The team has been on a successful streak since the new coach took over. He’s 45-year-old Saad Al-Shehri, who previously worked with the Saudi Arabian U-23 national team. He replaced the English icon Steven Gerrard. What has the new coach brought to the team?
“I think the local players now better understand the style of play he wants. The coach brought with him an interesting playing style, and so far, it suits us. He worked in the club before when another Slovak, Filip Kiss, was here. He also worked at Al Nassr and the national team, so he has plenty of experience. I can only speak well of him, and everyone in the club is satisfied with him.”
Top clubs? Currently, not a concern
In the goalkeeper statistics for the Saudi Pro League, you rank high, with an average of three and a half successful saves per match, just like Serbian-Canadian Milan Borjan, also known from his time at Slovan Bratislava. How do you rate your performances so far?
“I think it’s okay, although it can always be better. It’s not easy to have an average of three and a half successful saves per match, and this doesn’t even include one-on-one situations, like the ones I had with Ronaldo. Those are goal-scoring situations too.
We do have a bit of a problem keeping a clean sheet. We know what kind of league it is, with many clubs having foreign stars, and usually, it’s attacking players who are playing against local center-backs. If we could improve on this, it would definitely help the team.”
Do you think that with performances like the one against Al Nassr, you could transfer to one of the top clubs in a country that is undergoing a football revolution and will host the World Cup in 2034?
“I wouldn’t dare to say. All the top clubs already have their goalkeeper positions filled. Never say never, but for now, I’m happy where I am. I’ve only been at Al-Ettifaq for a short time, and I can’t say anything bad about the club. I’m not thinking about anything else at the moment.”
24.2.2025, Daniel Dedina
PHOTO: facebook Al Ettifaq
