Real Madrid legend comments on Zidane's relationship with James Rodriguez
In an interview with BLU Radio, Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos has urged the club's Colombian star James Rodriguez to place faith in Real Madrid's manager Zinedine Zidane and stay at the club.
The former Real Madrid full-back also vouched for the midfielder's talent and said that he must respect the fans for the love they have given him.
James Rodriguez finds himself at the bottom of Real Madrid's pecking order and has struggled to find playing time under Zinedine Zidane. The Colombian maestro has lost his place in Real Madrid's midfield and finds himself below the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, and Isco in Zidane's list of midfield preferences.
Roberto Carlos stated that patience is a very important virtue to have for a Real Madrid player and asked James Rodriguez to place his faith in Zinedine Zidane.
"Zidane has a lot of respect for James. He makes lots of rotations and whenever James comes on he always does well. The fans love him."
Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez praised by club legend Roberto Carlos
Real Madrid great Roberto Carlos also revealed that he has always admired James Rodriguez and praised him for his contributions to the club. The Colombian midfielder first made his mark at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where he won the Golden Boot and was one of the best players in the tournament.
Real Madrid immediately swooped for the talented attacking midfielder and completed his signing from Monaco in the following season. Rodriguez was a revelation in his first season and scored a spectacular bicycle kick against Real Betis to announce his arrival to the Real Madrid fanbase.
The Colombian was also an integral part of Real Madrid's Champions League victories in 2016 and 2017 but was disappointed with the lack of playing time at the club. Real Madrid decided to loan the midfielder to Bayern Munich where he rediscovered his form.
It was after a good season at Bayern Munich that Zinedine Zidane decided to bring the midfielder back to Real Madrid for the 2019/20 season. James Rodriguez has found that little has changed with respect to his situation at the club and continues to struggle for playing time under the French manager.
Roberto Carlos advised the talented Colombian midfielder to continue striving for a place in Real Madrid's illustrious starting eleven.
"The most important thing now is that he keeps on training as well as he has been and that he maintains the confidence he has in himself."
James Rodriguez has already had an eventful and a successful career and has played a massive role in several title-winning campaigns.
Roberto Carlos also addressed the Colombian's success with club and country and promised to continue cheering for the talented midfielder.
"He has done so much for this club and even more for his country."
Real Madrid currently sits at second place in the La Liga table and finds itself 2 points behind arch-rivals Barcelona. Real Madrid's form has been on the uptick in the recent past with several youngsters delivering impressive performances for the club.
With several young talented players performing for the club, only time will tell whether James Rodriguez will play a role in Real Madrid's title charge this season or not.