After an initial apprenticeship, Juan Rodríguez has taken over Cagliari and Italian football . "It was my dream to play in Europe. When I arrived, I found a league different from the one I was familiar with, but after three months, I felt comfortable and started playing," the Uruguayan defender told "Il Cagliari in diretta" on Videolina and Radiolina, a guest in the studio with journalists Valentina Caruso, Fabiano Gaggini, and Alberto Masu. "It was difficult having to leave my family, whom I see once a year, but they are proud of me, and that gives me even more strength."
Rodríguez's mentors included Diego López, who surprised him by joining the show: "He knows he can count on me at any time, but I see he's doing great," the former captain's message from Montevideo. Then Juanchi , his nickname, found another special mentor once in Sardinia (where he'll be playing since September 2025): "Mina. He was the first to approach me, also because we speak the same language and play the same position . When I arrived, he was with Colombia, and after a week I wanted to go home because it seemed too difficult. He came back and told me to stay close to him, which made everything easier."
Rodríguez has been a regular starter this season and has played the full 90 minutes in Cagliari's three consecutive defeats, which have dampened their start to the season somewhat. "We know it's a difficult time because we've lost three consecutive games after starting very strongly, but we know we have to keep working because winning will return soon ," he said. "We know something has changed after Monza, but we're a team that must have a soul first." And the goal is to raise their game on Sunday, with their second away game in just a few days at the Olimpico, this time against Lazio.
