James Rodriguez and Real Madrid's middle class

The idea of James kicking down the directors' doors demanding a payrise last November right after a two month absence through injury seems absurd, a serious error. The ultimate example of bad timing. Today, three months later, the scene makes a little more sense when you examine the facts and figures released in his contract that were published in Football Leaks. Of course, for the rest of the world, 4.2 million euro net per year is an amount of money that's difficult to imagine, but in the extra-dimensional financial football measures, these numbers don't match what the World Cup's top goalscorer should be receiving, even in his own house.

Heavy is the weight of Real Madrid's no.10 jersey. The responsibility is high, the expectations are through the roof: pleasing the manager, playing perfect games, managing the media. The margin for error is tight and the pressure is 24/7. James has paid a hefty price for his mistakes on and off the pitch. With the lessons learned and the reality surpassing the promise, James has good reason to look for equivalence in pay at his level in the blanco changing room. The Chinese want to blow the roof off an already over-heated market, but that's another story. The Colombian earns like Real Madrid's middle-class, but has the responsibilty of the elite. The question is, who chooses the numbers?