James Rodriguez: Meet Rayo Vallecano’s technical director, Iñigo Pérez, his new boss

James Rodriguez has a new team, after his hiring was confirmed on Monday by the Rayo Vallecano from Spainwhich is directed by Inigo Perez.

“With his incorporation to Rayo, James, chosen as the best player of the last America’s Cup, returns to the Spanish League, a championship for several seasons with the real Madrid (2014-2017 and 2019/2020),” said the EFE agency.

Short journey

Pérez is young, at just 36 years old, he is one of the coaches who are trying to prove themselves, to get ahead in a difficult football, Spanish football.

“We have to wait a bit because he has just rested after finishing the Copa America late, but we are very happy with his arrival,” said Perez.

“James can play in all three attacking midfields. He has done best as a playmaker, but he can also play as an eight. He will do well in any position,” the Spanish coach said.

Pérez joined Rayo and has been in charge of the team for 22 games and has five wins, eight draws and nine defeats. The forwards have scored 14 goals and the defence has conceded 28.

As a footballer

He played in the Basconia (third division), Athletic (second), Athletic Club (first), Huesca (second), Mallorca (second), Numancia (second) and Osasuna.

“My experience with people who have achieved a lot, most recently Falcao, is that there are two ways. Either they are inaccessible to others or they do not fail on either a sporting or human level. If he is here it will be the second way,” said the coach.

His idea on the football field is based on a 1-4-2-3-1 formation and his philosophy is to recover the ball quickly with high pressure and a lot of speed to surprise the rival in defense.

Admire the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, of someone who claims to have “similar things.”

“Marcelo is a turning point in my career, on a positive level in terms of sport, but also on a personal level,” he said when he retired as a player.

He added: “We have similar ideas, but we must not fool anyone, he is Andoni Iraola and I am Íñigo Pérez. It is the line that I like and the club likes too, we will try to maintain it and reproduce it. I understand the comparison, it is normal, natural and it does not bother me or scare me.”

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