The controversy stemmed from Barcelona's 5-0 win at Valencia last Sunday, when Movistar's 'El Día Después' cameras caught Rodri telling substitute team-mate Pau Cubarsí that Valencia were "very weak" and "terrible," while covering his mouth with a towel once he realised he had been overheard.
The clip spread rapidly on social media, passing a million views on Movistar's account before being removed, and prompted the Barcelona midfielder to reach out privately to Valencia captain José Gayà before eventually addressing the matter in public.
Rodri chose to make a statement before taking any questions following Barcelona's 5-1 Champions League win over Feyenoord.
"I'd like to say a few words before we start. When you make a mistake, you have to come out and apologise. I want to apologise to everyone who felt offended: players, fans. I already had an appropriate call with my friend and team-mate José Gayà.
"I apologised to him and to the whole squad," he said. "It was an expression of surprise, I never wanted to mock or take out of context any team's difficult moment. I hope Valencia return to the place they deserve, to be one of the best clubs in this league."
The midfielder also pushed back gently on how the private exchange had become public.
"We should all learn a bit more. Things get taken out of context, and I repeat my apology to Valencia," he said, before restricting further questions to matters concerning the match itself. According to reports citing À Punt, Rodri had explained to Gayà that the comments came in an informal, private context and asked him to pass the message on to the rest of the Valencia squad to head off any lingering ill feeling; Gayà accepted the apology but made clear to Rodri that he had been in the wrong.
Turning to football matters, Rodri set realistic expectations for the season ahead in Europe.
"The Champions League is the small step that remains for us. We have to change things and that's what we're doing. We all want to lift this trophy again. We have to go little by little," he said. "If anyone expects us to win by five goals every match, they're mistaken. There's a long way to go and it's a very long competition."