Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has claimed James Rodriguez wanted to be left out of the Primera Division leaders’ fixture against Athletic Club on Sunday.
Despite the absence of the Colombian, Madrid won the match 1-0, taking the victory thanks to a Sergio Ramos penalty that came after the kick was awarded following a VAR review.
James has been strongly linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this summer, having featured only 14 times for the capital side in all competitions this season, and speculation is set to mount in the wake of Zidane’s words.