Falling from the highest of footballing peaks, James Rodriguez has been given a fresh start in Qatar.
To see James Rodriguez, top scorer at the 2014 World Cup and a world class player for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, playing in the Qatari league, wouldn’t have seemed possible two or three years ago. But last week, at just 30 years old, this became a reality - the Colombian international signed a three year contract with top flight side Al-Rayyan. Whilst the immediate reaction was surprise and disappointment, another player choosing money over the prestige of European football, for James, and the Colombian national team, the move could prove to be for the best.
When he moved to Everton at the start of last season, we wrote that James’ relationship with manager Carlo Ancelotti could go either way for him. It seems that even James himself believed he could be coached well by Ancelotti, and by Ancelotti only. At the end of the season though, the Italian returned to Real Madrid. Rafa Benitez came in to manage The Toffees, the same coach who extinguished his career in Madrid. A few days later, he was excluded from Reinaldo Rueda’s squad for the 2021 Copa America, the first time since he made his debut in 2011.
James’ exclusion from the national team had a real impact. From that moment we saw a different side to his personality, one we hadn’t seen before. In a live broadcast on his Instagram account, James criticised coach Reinaldo Rueda, saying that members of the Colombia staff had lied about an alleged injury. Everton agreed with their midfielder, insisting he was fit to play.
With the Copa America in progress, there were no messages of support for his compatriots. Falcao missed the tournament for similar reasons, but still found time to cheer on Los Cafeteros. It looked like James was tired of football, like he was more focused on his social media accounts than his football career. There were even murmurs he was considering retirement.
James had been an idol in Colombia, one of the most beloved players of the generation, but now there was only an air of disappointment. Most of his support now comes from the media, much less from the terraces. Fans are struggling to forgive his recent behaviour, and particularly his attitude towards Rueda. The Colombian coach, on the other hand, has made it clear that the door is open for the midfielder to return, but he needs to regain his form and play more at club level.
Throughout the summer, James’ name was linked with several clubs, including Italian giants AC Milan, but as the transfer window went on, whispers of a potential move to the Middle East were getting louder. Al-Rayyan were the club to make the move, with James swapping the Premier League for the Qatar Stars League, but will the transfer turn out to be a success, or a failure?
Why could James succeed?
Consistency – This is the most vital thing for James to achieve at the moment. Ultimately, he needs to get his form back and earn his playtime, and to do that he needs to be consistent. He should be able to do that at Al-Rayyan. His role as the star man for The Lions should help him get his confidence back on the pitch and, hopefully, more playing time will build up his match fitness after a long absence from regular football. Al-Rayyan can aim for the league title this season too, it’s been a while since James was a prominent figure in a title-challenging side, this is essential for him to get back on track.
A team’s star player once again – Once one of the world’s most famous players, James has already proved himself at the highest levels, yet his misfortune over the last few years means the top teams aren’t looking at him. In Qatar, he will be the star and, for better or for worse, the spotlight will be on him. If he succeeds, then a new contract in Europe could be on the horizon and, due to a clause written into his contract, James can terminate his deal with Al-Rayyan for as little as €10 million should an offer from a Champions League club be forthcoming.
Return to the national team - James is fortunate. Unlike other coaches, Reinaldo Rueda doesn’t have a problem picking players who don’t play in the traditional ‘big leagues’. Al-Hilal’s Gustavo Cuellar, and Fernando Quintero, who plays in the Chinese Super League, are both regulars for the national team. If he performs well at Al-Rayyan, there’s no doubt that James is likely to put on the famous yellow jersey again.
Why James can fail?
Playing at a lower level – Moving away from the ‘big five’ leagues at this stage of his career is a risk. It’s feasible that James could, quite easily, enter his comfort zone. The man who not long ago was being considered a nominee for the best Colombian footballer of all time, could soon disappear from the spotlight at the age of 30. Two or three years ago, this would have sounded absurd.
Different culture - James first moved to Europe eleven years ago, signing for FC Porto as a 19 year old, and his arrival in the Middle East will see a significant change in the climate, food and culture which he has grown accustomed to. Remember his loan spell at Bayern Munich? James didn’t adapt well to life in Germany and decided to return to Madrid. Qatar could be an even more difficult place to adjust to than Germany, we’ll have to see how much the move affects him.
No longer at the top – The move to Al-Rayyan takes James further away from the top of world football than he has ever been in his career. For a player who has played in Portugal, France, Germany, Spain and, most recently, England, moving to Qatar, a league where the standard of football is significantly lower than the level he is used to, is a big step down.
Ultimately, just like with the move to Everton twelve months ago, James needs to revive his career. It didn’t work in England, and the fact that he has to move to a new continent to gain his confidence back, is an expression of just that. But, just like before, it is up to him. If he can block out all the noise and criticism, James will bring his hunger and passion to the pitch again, he will return to Los Cafeteros, and maybe even to Europe, but the only way he can do so is through the Qatari football league.
Photo by James Rodriguez official Twitter.
