Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hasan Salihamidzic deny a report from Spain that FC Bayern has already decided against a firm commitment by James Rodriguez. Nevertheless, the signs of Real Madrid’s loan being withdrawn are growing – because the record holders’ decision-makers obviously disagree.
It wasn’t so long ago that Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was still full of confidence that he would be able to keep James Rodriguez with FC Bayern beyond 15 June 2019.
At the beginning of March, to be precise, Rummenigge said in an interview with AZ that he was “firmly” assuming that the playmaker would remain there for the long term. It was one of the many interviews in which he also outed himself as a “fan” of James.
However, the Colombian international obviously does not have many of these in the record holder’s sports management. Otherwise Rummenigge would have spoken differently about James’ future before the recent home game against Hannover 96 (3:1).
He denied a report in the Spanish sports newspaper Marca according to which FC Bayern would not pull the 42 million euro purchase option for the left foot and send it back to Real Madrid.
More than the words that the final conversation in the case of James had “yet to be conducted”, the 63-year-old did not bring out of his mouth.
No hymn of praise, no commitment to the midfielder. Rummenigge, so the impression, is put up with the course of things. Apart from him, no one else stood up for James in the second half of the season.
President Uli Hoeneß and Sports Director Hasan Salihamidzic unanimously praised 27-year-olds as “great players”, but always blamed Niko Kovac for the responsibility. After all, it is still the coach who decides who he sets up and wants to set up in the future. And Schöngeist James, as the past weeks have impressively shown, is an expendable man in the system of the fighter type Kovac.
Thomas Müller, the not always successful, but always passionately acting identification figure of the Munichers, and Leon Goretzka, who is versatile in all midfield positions, clearly have the nose in front of the man with the number 11.
This is unlikely to change in the last three games, because James is plagued by muscle hardening in his calf and Kovac has not rotated since his 5-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of April.
Nevertheless, Salihamidzic said on Saturday, they would continue to take their time in the James case. A decision had not yet been made, he said. These words alone could hardly better demonstrate the disagreement between the parties involved.
It’s no secret that Salihamidzic is looking at German talents like Kai Havertz and Julian Brandt who can play in tenth position. The Bavarians are playing poker – to the chagrin of James.
The fact that he hasn’t wanted Munich for a long time can be seen from his body language.
If he already left his dream club Real because of lack of playing practice, why should he stay with FC Bayern in his current situation? Probably only a change of coach would get him thinking.
James is a type of footballer who needs to be stroked, who can only unfold his full potential if someone gives him unrestricted trust. Like Jupp Heynckes last season.
But there’s a good chance Kovac won’t. And that is why the confidence expressed by James fan Rummenigge in March has virtually disappeared.
