James Rodríguez, between his conflictive departure from Sao Paulo and his shadowy present

They are gray days for James Rodriguez. His departure from Sao Paulo It hasn't come to fruition and she no longer seems as friendly as I wanted; The player continues training, but with his mind out of there. He lives 2024 without competition and with an uncertain future, as has already happened to him. In just over a month the Colombian National Team will play again on the Fifa date and James will be the big question mark.

(You may be interested in: James' friend speaks directly about his case in Sao Paulo: 'It has to be realistic')

James arrived in São Paulo six months ago, he barely played 14 games and scored a goal, he finished 2023 and started 2024 with calf problems, but beyond that, his desire was to change course, again, ratifying a instability that has become constant in his career: he arrives at a club, plays, stops playing, sometimes gets injured, then becomes uncomfortable and then decides to leave.

And he wants to leave, but everything indicates that the path is not so clear. The termination of the contract has not yet been confirmed and unofficial versions indicate that there are debts involved, money that hinders the exit. From Brazil it is said that James would be owed a sum of 2 million euros, for salaries and image rights, something that was denied by the club at the time, which would not have gone down well with the footballer's entourage.

Amid rumors of conflict and even possible lawsuits, James continues with his day-to-day life, pretending that everything is going normally. He trains and is very active on social networks, publishing more photos training and with teammates from when he did play. “Adversity creates opportunities,” he wrote yesterday. Adversity is what lives. In Brazil they give him everything for his decision to leave, after coach Thiago Carpini himself revealed that the player wanted to leave. This week, former soccer player Jose Ferreira Neto destroyed him: “The biggest mistake in the history of São Paulo in terms of hiring was that mediocre little player who had a great World Cup (Brazil 2014) and that everyone treats him like a crack. “He doesn't clean my boots…” Neto said.

The fans of São Paulo are disappointed: they welcomed a star and said goodbye to a shadow. So James spends his days being where he doesn't want to be and where he is no longer wanted. His friend and teammate, Rafinha, who was key to his arrival in São Paulo, said of the Colombian: “He has to be realistic. The football that James plays today is not the same as it was 10 years ago. He is great, in his position he is dominant, one of the best there is. But for it to work it has to be like what they do in the Colombian National Team for him.” Rafinha highlighted that James is a professional, that he trains well, that he doesn't make a bad face…

Brazilian journalist Andre Hernán gave clues: “The termination is underway, his representatives are looking for a new club and he is physically training at the club because theoretically he still has a contract and the documentation has not yet been signed,” he said. For his part, journalist Gabriel Sá said that the parties are working on the termination and that it has already been decided that he will leave.

The doors are closing. Türkiye, where it was heard, has already closed its market. He has the option of the MLS, where Real Salt Lake and the Columbus Crew would be interested, but they are just rumors. And time is ticking.

James is still a great footballer, his talent cannot be reduced to his conflicts, his left foot is still enviable. If he gets a team quickly and starts playing, he will continue to be important for the National Team, but – James always has a but – his instability continues to be his heavy cross on his back.

PABLO ROMERO
SPORTS

More sports news