The top scorer of the 2014 World Cup has sunk to the bottom. Zenit refused it in the summer
Al-Rayyan agreed with Everton on the transition of James Rodriguez. The ex-Real Madrid midfielder has already undergone a medical examination, and will soon be officially presented as a football player for the Qatari team. In January 2020, James won the Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid, and now the top clubs don’t need it? What happened to the career of a talented Colombian?
How James lit up at Porto and kept the bar at AS Monaco
The midfielder was one of Porto’s stars in the 2010/2011 season. Then André Villas-Boas assembled an efficient team: Otamendi, Moutinho, Falcao, Hulk, Varela… James burst into the Portuguese championship brilliantly with 11 assists and two goals in 15 appearances. As for the Europa League, the Colombian took part in nine meetings, scored a goal in the group stage, and chalked up five assists. In the final match of the Europa League, James came out for 11 minutes, replacing Varela.
Three years in Portugal brought Rodriguez many titles: three championships, one National Cup, four Super Cups and a Europa League trophy. During this time, the cost of the midfielder increased almost 10 times, and James moved to Monaco. In France, the player spent one season, but kept a high level: nine goals and 13 assists in 31 league matches.
The best years of Hames
In just one season, Monaco was able to bail out € 30 million for James. The Colombian, who had a brilliant World Cup in Brazil, became a Real Madrid player. The performance at the 2014 World Cup was the peak of the exact career of James: he scored in all (!) Matches of the tournament, brought Colombia to the quarterfinals with his double and scored best goal draw according to FIFA in the game with Uruguay in the 1/8 finals.
Valery Karpin in the summer of 2014, he named James the main contender for the Golden Ball.
“James Rodriguez should get the Ballon d’Or. It doesn’t matter that Argentina reached the final and Colombia stopped in the quarterfinals – this is not about the team, but about the player. Rodriguez has all the qualities at the level: vision of the field, technique, plus he presented them at this championship in full. This does not mean, I repeat, that the Colombian is the best in general. The same Messi demonstrates the highest skill in 50 matches of the season, while Rodriguez spent only five in Brazil. Therefore, there are championship players, and there are players of the season, ”the coach said.
Karpin saw James play live and was probably unhappy: in the 2010/2011 season, Porto destroyed Spartak on aggregate (5: 1, 5: 2). In this confrontation, the Colombian scored only one assist.
In his first season in Spain, James won the UEFA Super Cup, and in the championship he scored excellent statistics – 13 goals and the same number of assists in 29 matches. In subsequent years, the player’s efficiency declined, and the Colombian faded into the background. However, this did not affect the success of Real Madrid in any way. James has won a league title, two Champions Leagues and two UEFA Super Cups.
Hames as a blessed reality
Loan to Bayern, return to Real and an invitation to Everton
Due to injuries and an incomprehensible game, the midfielder changed the situation, moving to Bayern. For two years in Germany, the Colombian played 67 matches, scored 15 goals and gave 20 assists. Rodriguez had a great 2017/2018 season, but in the next he gave seven less assists. Performances for Bayern = new trophies. In two years, James won two championships and two German Super Cups, as well as the National Cup. The midfielder returned to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 for two trophies – the National Super Cup and the second championship.
In September 2020, James moved to Everton free of charge, thus playing for his career in all the top championships except Italy. The Colombian ended up in the English club thanks to the invitation of the coach with whom he worked at Real Madrid. The midfielder was about to “do great things with Ancelotti,” but after the 2020/2021 season, the Everton helmsman returned to the “creamy” camp. In the English club, James often dropped out of the squad due to injuries and ended the season on a sad note, having conceded 10 matches out of 19 in the second round and scored two goals and one assist.
Everton lead the Premier League. How did it happen?
Possible transfer to Zenit, conflict with new Everton coach and transfer to Qatar
Last summer, the footballer was offered to seven clubs, including Zenit. According to the “Championship”, the blue-white-blue refused the services of a midfielder, who continued to look for options to continue his career. Bad relationship with Benitez James does not play for Everton and is not even involved in the affairs of the club – during a live broadcast on Twitch, the player stated that he did not know who his team was playing with.
On September 11, the Colombian returned to the location of Everton after a failed move to Istanbul Basaksehir, and now, it seems, he will go to make money in Qatar.