James Rodriguez opens up on 'difficult' spell in Qatar and says demand left him 'afraid'

Former Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Everton midfielder James Rodriguez has opened up on his "difficult" 12-month spell in Qatar with Al-Rayyan SC.

The 32-year-old Colombia international left Premier League side Everton in the summer of 2021 to join Qatar Stars League side Al-Rayyan for an undisclosed fee.

Rodriguez signed a three-year deal with the Qatari side worth €7 million [£6m] per season, according to Pipe Sierra, but his time at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium would come to an abrupt end.

In September last year, it was announced that the player's contract at Al-Rayyan would be terminated ahead of a move to Greek Super League outfit Olympiacos.

Rodriguez made just 13 appearances for the club, who were managed by now-Barcelona manager Xavi at the time. So how does he feel about his spell in the Middle East?

Speaking in an interview with Brazilian TV channel Globo via Daily Mail, the former FC Porto midfielder spoke about two different incidents.

"Life and culture in Qatar are very difficult, it was a country where it was difficult to adapt," he said.

"You know that in football everyone is naked when they shower, but my teammates told me: 'You can't do it like that'. I was afraid."

He added: "Everyone there eats with their hands, which was difficult for me. They shared it with me and I said, 'No thanks'. "I asked for cutlery and they told me: 'No, with your hand' and I replied: 'You guys are crazy, I won't eat with my hand'."

Rodriguez was then left feeling more uncomfortable, according to the report, after he was asked to eat with his right hand rather than his left for personal hygiene reasons.

Image credit: Getty

Rodriguez also opened up on his two-year spell in Germany with Bayern Munich. "It's cold there. The Germans are also cold people, even if I was treated fantastically at FC Bayern," he is quoted as saying.

"There were days when I went to work at 9am, I turned on the car and the temperature was -28. I say: 'What am I doing here? Munich is a city that has a lot of quality of life, but I couldn't be comfortable."

The 32-year-old, who has made 93 appearances for his country, now plays for Brazilian side Sao Paulo.