The rift between Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid's midfielder James Rodriguez has only grown as Rodriguez falls at the bottom of the lineup for the French coach, as per Sports English. Rodriguez is now the third least-used player in Real Madrid this season, and communication between him and Zidane has hit rock bottom, as per Marca.
Part of the problem lies in Zidane's lack of confidence in James Rodriguez's training and the latter downhearted at the French boss remaining unimpressed at him, as per Marca. Apparently, James Rodriguez's lack of commitment and questionable attitude is part of the problem, as per Sports English. While Rodriguez might believe he has the talent to make up for these downsides, he's perceived as not working hard enough to overcome it, as per Sports English. James Rodriguez did not feature in Real Madrid's victory over Atlético Madrid last April, and Zidane had promised to change that.
But despite recent injuries suffered to Casemiro and Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez has only played seven minutes in Real Madrid's last two games, as per GiveMeSport. When Gareth Bale was injured in the match against Sporting Lisbon last Tuesday, Zidane turned to Marco Asensio instead.
It's hard to imagine James Rodriguez falling to the bottom of the ranks after his intense performance in the 2014 World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot and the Puskas Award. James Rodriguez is now looking to exit Real Madrid by January next year, per Sport English. But the Real Madrid hierarchy aren't willing to let him go yet, in part due to fears that James Rodriguez might find top form elsewhere, as per Marca. They are still hopeful that Zidane can find a position for James Rodriguez in the team.
