Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez hates being called 'fat'

Real Madrid’s star Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez, has hit out at those who have been criticising him for being overweight. The Santiago Bernabeu faithful are a notoriously demanding bunch, and the sight of the Colombian ambling around the pitch, with rumours of his indulgent nightlife making the rounds of the Spanish press has infuriated Real Madrid’s fans.

Speaking to the media after Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Real Betis last night, James voiced his extreme displeasure, saying “It’s annoying that people are saying so many hurtful things. Everyone who’s close to me knows how I behave. I know how to take good care of myself, it hurts that people would doubt me and say that I’m fat. That really hurts.”

Reports in Spain claimed that James’ body-fat percentage is 13%, which is quite low for the rest of us mere mortals, but a poor number for a €80 million midfielder at the top of the game. In start contrast, the average body-fat percentage of Real Madrid’s entire squad is 8%.

The Real Madrid midfielder also touched on the insinuation that he has over-indulged in Madrid’s vibrant nightlife, which has resulted in his current spell of bad form, saying “I owe everything to football. These insinuations are hard to deal with. I always train hard, I’m a good professional. There’s no doubt about it, I want to give my all when I play. The things people are saying about me going out at night are complete lies.”

James is happy with Zidane’s managerial style

In a notable incident in Real Madrid’s game against Sporting Gijon, Zinedine Zidane was annoyed that James Rodriguez had stopped warming up, ordering the Colombian to get off the bench and continue with his warm up. Added to rumours about his weight, the incident sent a fresh wave of criticism James’ way.

The midfielder, however, played down the incident, calling it a minor miscommunication, saying “I didn’t know I was supposed to continue warming up. There was a lack of communication. If the manager tells me to do something I do it.”

James also spoke about his pleasure that Zinedine Zidane replaced Rafa Benitez, because he has a ‘great relationship’ with the Madrid boss, saying “You can understand some people better than others. The change of management was a good thing and we’re all getting on well with Zidane. We listen to him more. I have a great relationship with him and we talk a lot.”