Real Madrid president Florentino Perez "remains committed" to James Rodriguez, but manager Zinedine Zidane still "doubts" the Colombian, according to a report in Spanish paper AS that claims the midfield dynamo's future at Madrid is uncertain.
AS' Carlos Forjanes writes James' future in Madrid is "still wrapped in more clouds than clears" (clarity). He is, in fact, "playing with fire" in a perceived lack of commitment to the club.
Under a headline that reads, roughly, "Florentino cares for James but (there is) Zidane doubt with the Colombian," AS says Perez still "has faith" in Rodriguez "for his quality and the advertising income he generates" but Zidane sees a lack of dedication from him.
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That lack of commitment, according to the report, has made it so that “in the club it is thought that the Colombian is playing with fire”.
His chronically injured shoulder requires surgery, and AS reports “the club mobilised and put the 10 in contact with the specialist Mikel Aramberri”. But Rodriguez “declined surgery, he went on vacation in Miami and was seen playing beach volleyball...”
Rodriguez was perhaps the most sensational talent of the 2014 World Cup (and scored maybe its most memorable goal), as he helped lead Colombia to the quarter-finals. It inspired Real Madrid, led at that time by Carlo Ancelotti, to buy him for €80 million (Dh326.3m) from AS Monaco.
He flourished for the most part in his first season at the club and was favoured by Ancelotti. The now 25-year-old scored 13 goals and assisted on 13 more in 29 La Liga appearances.
Last season, however, he struggled from the start under the short-lived tenure of Rafa Benitez, missing an extended period with injury. A double and a full 90 minutes against Real Betis in Madrid's second match of the league season proved the high point, and after scoring in his first game back as a sub against Sevilla in November, he wouldn't connect again until the end of January.
Rodriguez generally failed to earn Zidane's trust, playing 90 minutes just four times after the Frenchman's January installation as Real Madrid manager. Under Zidane he came on as a sub six times, started 11 and was subbed off with 20-plus minutes remaining three times, including on 57 minutes in the key 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby in late February.
In all he finished with just seven goals and eight assists in 26 league appearances, nine as a substitute, a noticeable drop-off from his previous campaign. AS states James played 66.4 per cent of possible minutes under Ancelotti and just 39.8 per cent under Benitez and Zidane.
Rodriguez, was also, AS notes, often marginalised in the ultimately successful Champions League title run.
In the final at the San Siro, notes the paper, “with Cristiano exhausted and Bale cramped, Zizou did not look to him for help, and instead he threw out Isco”.
“A statement of intentions,” goes the report, “difficult to digest for a star who cost 80 million”.
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