Xavi admits he wanted Former Real Madrid midfielder to play for Barcelona
James Rodriguez, who won nine trophies during his six years at Real Madrid, helped the club define an era. During his time at Santiago Bernabeu, he won 37 goals and won two La Liga championships, two UEFA Champions League trophies, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and the Spanish Super Cup.
Through MARCA, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez expressed his respect for the Colombian playmaker and expressed his regret at having to compete against him.
He made a point of emphasising the attacking midfielder’s prodigious goals, whether they were scored up close or far away, thanks to his superb left foot.
The Colombian player returned to Real Madrid for his final season in 2019–20 after a year on loan at Bayern Munich. After that, Rodriguez moved to Everton in the Premier League, where he played for Carlo Ancelotti for a whole season. The midfielder joined Al-Rayyan in September 2021, however his contract was mutually cancelled just over 365 days later. He is now playing for Olympiacos in the Greek Super League, where in seven games he has contributed two goals and two assists.
Real Madrid is presently two points behind Barcelona in the La Liga rankings. Maintaining the lead moving forward will be key, as will taking advantage of any lapses by Los Blancos.
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