James Rodriguez better than Zinedine Zidane? Club Leon star makes controversial statement
James Rodriguez first captured the global spotlight in 2014 with his world-class performance at the World Cup, finishing as the top scorer, winning the Puskas Award, and earning a move to Real Madrid. Now playing for Club Leon, the Colombian star has sparked controversy with a bold statement when asked who is better between him and soccer legend Zinedine Zidane.
Throughout his career, James has won trophies at various top European clubs and established himself as one of Colombia’s greatest players. In a recent interview with Edu Aguirre for the Spanish program Los Amigos de Edu, the midfielder made a remark that quickly caught the attention of football fans.
While doing 1v1 comparisons, James Rodriguez was asked about the best player between himself and Zidane, James didn’t shy away from the challenge. “Zidane was very good, in his prime he won the World Cup, but… James,” the Colombian responded, drawing a line between the two.
James stood firmly behind his own abilities, even when Aguirre mentioned other footballing legends like Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Xavi Hernandez. James confidently placed himself among the top players, with the exception of Andres Iniesta, whom he referred to as “top.”
James clears the air on Zidane
After stints with Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez, Zidane became the third Real Madrid manager James worked under since joining the club. However, his playing time significantly dwindled, as he often found himself relegated to the bench.
“Zidane has always been my idol. Sometimes he would train, and he had more quality than all of us. When Zidane arrived, there was a lot of buzz in the press,” James admitted to Aguirre. However, he also clarified that there was no personal issue between him and the Frenchman, simply a tactical decision:
“Nothing happened between him and me, I wasn’t angry with him as was said, but he found a great team that I didn’t fit into. With him, I played, but in the key games, he didn’t put me in, he played Kroos, Casemiro, and Modric, and that’s respectable.”
From 2016 to 2018, James struggled to secure a regular spot in the starting lineup under Zidane. Despite this, Zidane’s decisions proved to be successful, as he led Real Madrid to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, a remarkable achievement that earned him the right to keep his starting midfielders and leave James on the bench.