James Rodríguez explodes at lack of Bayern playing time
After criticising Niko Kovac recently, the Colombia international has now reportedly had a bust-up with the club's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
James Rodríguez’s Bayern Munich career appears to be on the line after the Colombia international was reportedly involved in a spat with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic over his lack of playing time this season.
According to Bild, the incident took place on October 27 after a Bundesliga game against Mainz, which James observed from the bench as an unused substitute. When Salihamidzic attempted to speak to the Colombia international after the game, James refused to shake his hand and muttered “you’re mistaken” in Spanish before stalking off.
Weeks earlier, James railed against the methods of Bayern coach Niko Kovac, who assumed the role in the summer. In the dressing room following a three-game winless run for the side, the attacking midfielder reportedly shouted “We’re not at Frankfurt!” in allusion to Kovac’s previous club.
James looking to leave Bayern in January
James is unhappy with his role as a back-up under Kovac after being an integral part of the side last season following his two-year loan from Real Madrid. Towards the end of the 2017-18 campaign, Bayern director general Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that the club intended to exercise their purchase option on James at the end of his loan for a fee of 42 million euros.
But Bild reported last month that far from looking to extend his stay, James is eyeing the exit door in January and the German daily said that his agent, Jorge Mendes, had met with the Bayern board to discuss a move when the window opens.
So far in 2018-19, James has played just over half of all available minutes across all competitions, featuring for just 639 over 13 games and starting seven matches in total. In Bayern’s opening two league games he was afforded six and 12 minutes from the bench and he was an unused substitute against both Augsburg and Mainz.
