Outstaying their Real Madrid welcomes: Gareth Bale and James Rodríguez

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James Rodriguez of Real Madrid (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images) /

James Rodríguez: A victim of misfortune

For someone who had a dream debut season with Real Madrid, scoring 17 goals and contributing 18 assists, James Rodríguez’s career graph has gone in a direction opposite to where it should have. No one would have thought he would be loaned out after just three seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu. The worst part is that none of these three seasons could be termed as a ‘bad’ season for the player.

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James was loaned to Bayern Munich for two seasons with an option to buy at the end of his loan stint. It was probably written in the stars that Bayern would face Real in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, a fixture that is famously termed the ‘European Clasico.’

On his return to the Bernabéu, he scored a goal but did not celebrate out of respect for his employers.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, he thrived. It seemed that the move to Germany breathed new life into the Colombian, whose relentless efforts to impress and deliver were never taken into notice by Zidane.

This is where James’ misfortune kicks in. With the appointment of Niko Kovac, James was pushed to the periphery. Injuries rubbed salt to his wounds. In the 2018-19 season, he made just 28 appearances in all competitions, his lowest since coming to Europe in 2010. That number halved in 2019-20.

James returned to Real Madrid at the end of his two-season loan tenure at Bayern Munich. He was on his way out of the Spanish capital during the preseason, as it was clear James would be right at the bottom of Zidane’s pecking order.

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