Retired Forward Defends World Cup Top Scorer, Tells Zinedine Zidane To 'Eat S--t’

There was a time that James Rodriguez was on top of the football scene when he was leading Colombia in the 2014 World Cup. While the former top scorer hasn’t had much playing time in Real Madrid, retired forward Faustino Asprilla came to his defense.

Per Goal.com, the 50-year-old indicated that Rodriguez deserves more respect in his current club. The manner that he isn’t utilized by Zinedine Zidane much has been a waste of Rodriguez’s hard work.

"James isn't irresponsible," Asprilla said to Blu Radio.

"He trains every day just like everyone else,” Asprilla shared.

It will be interesting to see if Rodriguez is given an opportunity in the coming games of the continued La Liga season. The 28-year-old has had his share of success throughout his career and knows what it takes to succeed. Aside from his international success in the World Cup, he is also a two-time Champions League winner.

Throughout the current La Liga season, he’s only had seven total appearances. In his entire stay with Real Madrid, Rodriguez has had 124 appearances, 37 goals and 42 assists. There’s no question that he is a phenomenal player and Asprilla believes that.

"The coaches say that all players are the same to give motivation to substitutes, but they have three or four who always play. At Real Madrid, there are players who come from lower down and who come up,” Asprilla added.

The fact that Rodriguez has remained with the team despite his hard work and talent has been noteworthy.

"There's a need for a little respect. James is patient, but I would tell Zidane to 'eat sh*t'," Asprilla concluded.

It will be vital to see how Real Madrid moves forward in the remaining games of La Liga. It will be interesting to monitor if Rodriguez will garner any playing time on the pitch for Los Blancos.