- James Rodriguez moved to Al-Rayyan SC from Qatar in September 2021
- He talks about how his time in the country turned into a nightmare
- Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq are eighth in the league, without a win since October… his Saudi experiment could leave him in a creek without a paddle – It all starts
James Rodriguez has revealed that his stint in Qatar quickly turned into a nightmare when he moved to the country two years ago.
Rodriguez, who played for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich after winning the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup, joined Qatari side Al-Rayyan SC in 2021 after a short spell at Everton.
But he would only stay in the Middle East for 12 months before leaving, and he has now explained why.
The 32-year-old shared two different scenarios involving showering and eating, leaving him bewildered and struggling to feel at home.
“Life and culture in Qatar are very difficult, it was a country where it was difficult to adapt,” Rodriguez said on Brazilian TV channel Globo.
James Rodriguez (pictured) has revealed why he hated his 12-month stay in Qatar
He claimed he was not allowed to shower naked and had to eat his food with his hands
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'You know in football everyone is naked when showering, but my teammates said to me: “You can't do it like that”. I was scared.'
He added: 'Everyone eats with their hands there, which was difficult for me. They shared it with me and I said, “No thanks.” I asked for cutlery and they said to me: “No, with your hand” and I replied: “You guys are crazy, I don't eat with my hand”.
The Colombian playmaker was also told to eat with his right hand instead of his left for personal hygiene reasons. Once again this made him feel uncomfortable and he asked for cutlery.
After facing these problems, Rodriguez decided to move to Greek side Olympiakos in September 2022.
Rodriguez's revelations come just a year after Qatar hosted the Men's World Cup, with Argentina beating France on penalties in the final.
Qatar were the first team to be eliminated from the tournament and they proved to be unpopular hosts amid rows over rainbow flags and attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, while concerns were also raised over the treatment of migrant workers who built the stadiums for the four-week event.
Rodriguez left Qatar after just one year and now plays for Sao Paulo. He has admitted he found it 'difficult' getting used to the physical nature of games in Brazil
Rodriguez has since returned to South America to play for Sao Paulo in Brazil.
He has scored just once in 12 Serie A appearances in 2023 and admitted the league has shocked him because of the teams' physicality.
'I thought the football here would be less physical, but it is very physical. The game is often stopped due to fouls and there are many clashes,” he said.
'I thought it would be more technical. There are players with a lot of quality, but the game is very difficult.'