James: Madrid exit was tough

James Rodriguez has admitted that it was “very tough” to leave Real Madrid as his daughter “cried a lot” upon learning the news.

James failed to establish himself in Madrid’s first team under Zinedine Zidane and went on to join Bayern Munich on a two-year loan last summer. 

“I knew I was going to leave the club,” the midfielder told El Chiringuito.

“That last game [against Sevilla] was like me giving my thanks to everyone. It was very tough.

“When I got home, I told my four-year-old daughter: ‘Come here, I want to talk to you.’

“I told her, ‘we’re going to live in another city. You’re going to change schools, we’re not going to live in this house anymore,’ and she cried a lot.

“That was very hard. It broke my heart. I always arrived in the dressing room with a smile and had good vibes with all my teammates. I think they loved me like I loved them.

“With the Real Madrid fans, there was a real bond between us and I think they loved me like I loved them too.

“The fans always told me ‘James, stay.’ I felt a lot of affection for them. I love the Madrid fans very much because they, like me, always want to win.

“I don’t know if Madrid miss me. I did my work well and with all my heart. I was always eager, and everyone could see that when I was doing things well, I could make a difference.

“All the people who were close to me offered great support, such as my ex-wife, mother… they all supported me a lot and I’m eternally grateful to them.

“For now, I’m only thinking about Bayern. No-one knows what’ll happen in the future.

“My present is at Bayern, and it depends exclusively on me if I’m going to leave or stay.”

Tags Bayern Munich James Rodriguez
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