James Rodriguez signs for new club and is unveiled in BIZARRE announcement video just a week after leaving Rayo Vallecano – having ‘demanded 14 BODYGUARDS, a house, and “better players”‘
- Rodriguez has joined the twelfth club of his career and will play against Chelsea this year
- Another club missed out after rejecting his demands, including those of fourteen bodyguards
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James Rodriguez’s nomadic career will continue in Mexico after the Colombian penned a one-year contract with Club Leon.
The club confirmed the move with an announcement video in which Rodriguez, 33, plays the role of a Roman gladiator who wins the approval of the crowd and the emperor with a chest-and-volley combination.
It comes just a week after his contract with LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano was terminated after making seven appearances all season. Leon has paid the Madrid club a symbolic fee of £0.84 million The Athletics.
Leon is the twelfth club of his career, in an eleventh country. In 2023, they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the North American equivalent of the Champions League.
This summer he will play against Chelsea in Atlanta, USA, in the Club World Cup.
According to MARCARodriguez demanded 14 bodyguards and a house to sweeten the deal, as well as a promise to sign “better players” – something his new teammates may not want to hear.
James Rodriguez has signed for Mexican side Club Leon on a salary of £5 million
He played a Roman gladiator in his announcement video and impressed the emperor with a volley
The outlet also claims he will bank almost £5million over the course of his contract.
Initially it looked like he could go to Junior de Barranquilla in his home country, but they were reportedly unwilling to meet these demands.
Rodriguez has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but has struggled to get regular minutes and show his form for Colombia in club play.
After his sensational 2014 World Cup – including one of the best goals in the tournament’s history – he earned a big-money transfer from Monaco to Real for £62 million.
He made 125 appearances, although only 94 were starts during a six-year spell on the books at Los Blancos, with a number of loan moves.
However, since joining Bayern Munich on loan for two years between 2017 and 2019, Rodriguez has moved regularly, joining Everton, Qatari side Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos and Sao Paulo, Rayo Vallecano and now Leon.
Many of those steps were short-lived as contracts were torn up. He was the highest-paid player in Everton’s history on around £220,000 per week and scored six goals in 2020/21 under Carlo Ancelotti.
However, it was with Al-Rayyan that he admitted feeling “scared” after struggling to adapt to the culture.
Rodriguez joined Real Madrid for £62 million in the wake of his stunning 2014 World Cup
The Colombian played a season at Everton under Carlo Ancelotti in 2020/21
He left Al-Rayyan in 2022 after admitting he felt ‘scared’ and struggled to adapt to life in Qatar
He ended his time with Brazilian giants Sao Paulo after just twelve months in 2024
The Colombian would spend just seven months at Olympiacos before ripping up his contract
He is one of Colombia’s best ever players and was their star at the 2014 World Cup (pictured in 2024)
“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.
‘You know in football everyone is naked while 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”.