JAMES RODRIGUEZ’S last few years haven’t quite gone to plan.
The Colombian star is set to join his fifth club in five seasons after agreeing a deal with Brazilian side Sao Paulo.
ReutersJames Rodriguez twice won the Champions League with Real Madrid[/caption]
ReutersThe Colombian shot to stardom at the 2014 World Cup[/caption]
Rodriguez most recently played for Olympiacos in GreeceRex
Rodriguez, 32, still possesses a magical left foot and can conjure the sorts of incredible moments of quality that have seen him earn £65million in wages over the course of his career, as per Capology.
But he hasn’t been able to stick anywhere in recent years.
The attacking midfielder first moved to Europe with Porto in 2010, before securing a lucrative move to Monaco three years later.
It was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil that he really burst onto the global scene, scoring a series of stunning efforts and bagging the tournament’s Golden Boot and Goal of the Tournament awards.
He immediately declared his “passion” for Real Madrid and secured a £63million move to Santiago Bernabeu just a fortnight after the tournament had concluded.
Things initially went brilliantly in the Spanish capital, with Rodriguez helping them to two LaLiga titles and a pair of Champions League triumphs.
He gradually fell out of favour, however, and was sent on a two-year loan to Bayern Munich in order to reunite with former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Rodriguez won a pair of Bundesliga titles in Germany but following Ancelotti’s sacking, Bayern opted against forking out £36m to make the loan permanent.
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He featured just eight times in LaLiga during the 2019-20 season upon his return to Madrid, before being let go by the Spanish giants.
Ancelotti, at this point at Everton, stepped in once again to help revive Rodriguez’s career – bringing him to Goodison Park on a two-year contract.
He managed six goals and nine assists in 26 games for the Toffees, adding a dose of attacking quality scarcely seen at Goodison in recent years.
Following Ancelotti’s return to Madrid and defensive-minded Rafael Benitez’s unpopular Everton arrival, Rodriguez was deemed surplus to requirements and sold to Qatari side Al-Rayyan in September 2021.
Rodriguez didn’t enjoy his time in the Middle East, and enraged fans mid-season by suggesting he wanted to join Valencia.
Following his one season at Al-Rayyan he said: “Returning to elite football is a serious possibility. Let’s see who wants my left foot again.”
After receiving a mutual termination of his contract in Qatar, Rodriguez made the move to Olympiacos, and even had a good start to life in Greece.
They don’t appreciate what you’ve done
James Rodriguez
But as has been the pattern, injuries caused him to fall out of favour.
He was released early from his contract in April, despite having scored five goals and laid on six assists for the Piraeus side.
Following his exit he hit out at Olympiacos, telling RCN News: “I was in 24 games and I played a lot, there could have been more goals. I played well. The numbers are a bit low for what I played.
“I do not regret it [leaving Olympiacos], as I said before. And more when they don’t treat you well or in a serious way and they don’t appreciate what you’ve done.”
Rodriguez has remained an important figure for his national team, most recently appearing for Colombia in March.
And he will hope to make an impact at Sao Paulo, as he looks to stick at a club for the first time since leaving Real Madrid.
AlamyRodriguez achieved cult hero status with Everton[/caption]
GettyThe 32-year-old did not thrive while playing in Qatar[/caption]
Carlo Ancelotti has played a huge role in Rodriguez’s careerAP Read More