It’s official: James Rodríguez is Rayo Vallecano‘s big media signing to celebrate its centenary. The 33-year-old Colombian star signed as a free agent for this season, with the possibility of extending his stay in Vallecas until 2026, but his debut will not coincide with this Tuesday’s match (9:30 p.m.) against FC Barcelona, corresponding to the 3rd matchday of the 2024-25 League. “We’ll have to wait to see him because he’s been out of training since the Copa América final. We’ll have to calm down and wait to see him,” said Rayo coach Íñigo Pérez.
The addition of a star of this level, however, made Iñigo Pérez very happy because of all the virtues he can bring to a team that has collected 4 of the first 6 points in the League competition. “We are very happy with the arrival of James, as he is a player with great hierarchy and now it is up to us to take advantage of it,” stressed his new coach.
The absence of the playmaker who shone for Real Madrid several seasons ago in the match against Barça was explained by coach Iñigo Pérez. “We have to welcome him to the club, we want to make his adaptation as easy as possible,” said Pérez, who revealed that when he was “informed of the possibility” of bringing him in he gave his blessing: “It’s a challenge. My hope is that he shouldn’t give up what he has achieved in the world of football. My experience with people who have played many games in the elite is that they are very hard-working and spectacular on a human level,” he predicted. The importance of a club like Rayo being able to convince a footballer with such a resume is a source of pride. “I’m excited that a club like Rayo is an object of desire and that players with such a career want to be here. Now it’s up to me, as a guide, to make him comfortable and get the most out of it,” commented James’ new coach.
After assuming that James’ debut will not be against Barça, Iñigo Pérez shared the secret to beating a rival that has a perfect record of 6 out of 6 points. “It’s going to be a very exciting match. We’re back at Vallecas, facing Barça, and we’ve had two good days.. We need to keep up our performance, make minimal mistakes, and limit their successes,” he explained.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper
