It is neither the same nor the same: this time it is final. Zinedine Zidane and James Rodríguez are writing the last chapter of a story that is ending as badly as it started.
Neither Zidane was ever convinced that he needed it, nor did he do what he should to change his destiny. And so, the best is the end that is about to materialize.
This Thursday has been one more outrage, in a long and stormy list. The left-hander has been left out of one more call from Real Madrid, which is not new, except that the DT announced hours before: “You are going to see the call and you will see there, but I think all the players are here to train, They are here to give what they have and I am going to count on the people who are here to continue with the work we have been doing, ”he said.
So? James is not there? Don’t you want to ‘get the job done’ for Zidane? Probably the player himself answered him already in the interview in which he said: “I would also like to know why I do not play”, in which he regretted that Real Madrid did not let him go to Atlético a year ago or in which he confessed to Rio Ferdinand: “This year I am here at Real because the circumstances arose, not because I wanted to.” Spoons of the same medicine are given, ingratitude. And it’s not just this time.
Since the return, due to the forced pause of the covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, he played 78 minutes in the tight victory, 2-1 against Real Sociedad. He wandered around more than anything else. It was noted that it is not in the same wave of the rest of the template. Then he was a guest of the rostrum always until, this weekend, it exploded: Zidane said that he had asked him not to be in the call “for a personal matter”, which was later revealed to be due to his dissatisfaction when making trips, working, strive and in the end remain a shadow for the DT.
But, it is worth insisting, it is not a new topic. Here, a summary of disagreements that, sooner or later, would end in the divorce that is taking place today:
January 2016
In a match against Sporting de Gijón, James warmed up with Jesé and Zidane preferred the youth squad. The Colombian resolved to sit on the bench, which infuriated the Frenchman, who ordered him to continue the work.
May 2016
“When you play and have everyone’s support it shows,” he said, just before a classic against Barcelona. It was removed from the list immediately.
June 2016
“I play here lame,” said James after a match between Colombia and Paraguay, in the Copa América Centenario in the United States. Another brick in the wall for Zidane.
October 2016
In an interview for Colombia, the player insisted on what he said just a couple of weeks ago: “I want to play more, but here is someone who rules, he says who plays and who does not.” The boss decided not to.
December 2016
Right in the mixed zone of the Club World Cup, in the middle of the title that Real Madrid had just won, he blurted out: “I want to always be in Madrid, but you have to think of everything and look for exits. I have offers and I have seven days to decide ”. Zidane, as expected, took note.
February 2017
At the winter market, James did not leave. In a match against Leganés he was substituted in his already fateful 60th minute and when he was going to the bench he said: “his mother’s shell does not give me a complete match”. He would pay his last bill before leaving on loan to Bayern Munich (2017).
May 2019
Bayern Munich confirmed that, at the player’s request, he did not exercise his purchase option and returned it to Real Madrid. He returned, according to the local press, with a slight desire to convince Zidane, but he did not succeed.
July 2019
Zidane put together a call for the Audi Cup and, although he was on the roster, he didn’t look at James.
August 2019
New friendly match, this time against AS Roma, and again the Colombian was out of the call. Instead, the DT did take Gareth Bale, whom he ended up firing at a press conference. Now it was James who was taking note.
October 2019
James, tired of making sacrifices that did not report calls or confidence, heeded the call of the Colombian team when he was barely out of an injury. He was injured again in training. The notepad ran out of space – she didn’t miss it.
June 17, 2020, return from LaLiga
First two days without call
The Colombian had 8 months without being an initialist in LaLiga, since the day he played against Mallorca and, more words less, disappointed. He was already 4 months and 13 days from the last time he entered a court (elimination of the Copa del Rey against Real Sociedad) when he was again erased by the coach. Zidane said he doesn’t need “to be reminded of the kind of player he is,” but he stayed on the sidelines.
June 21, 2020 … until today
At last! James played 78 minutes against Real Sociedad in a tight 2-1 win and his prominence ended. He didn’t do much to deserve another luck, I mean. Zidane complied with the request not to be on the list against Athletic Bilbao and avoid the trip, but he repeated the dose against Alavés, a duel this Friday. Another disagreement, probably longed for by all.
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