Rayo Vallecano president Martín Presa has praised his team’s acquisition of Colombia star James Rodríguez on a free transfer, likening it to Diego Maradona’s move to Napoli in 1984. He also used the occasion to commend Rodríguez and subtly criticize Lionel Messi.
“In the end, we have achieved something historic for Rayo. We’ve brought in the MVP of the last major national tournament, the Copa América, to a humble but ambitious team. Nothing like this has been achieved in Italy for 38 years, since Diego Armando Maradona,” he told El Partidazo de COPE radio show.
Also speaking to the press, he said that James played better than Messi during the Copa America, being recognized as the MVP of the tournament. “I think [he won the MVP] rightfully so, because I saw all the matches from both Argentina and Colombia, and James deserved that trophy,” he said.
James Rodriguez reacts after receiving the MVP award following the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
However, he was quick to recognize “That doesn’t change the fact that, in my opinion, Messi is the best player of the last 20 years.” Presa also revealed that he made the connection with Rodriguez thanks to their “mutual friend” Radamel Falcao.
When will James Rodriguez debut with Rayo Vallecano?
While the arrival of the Colombian star has fans anticipating his debut with the club, it’s unclear when Rodriguez will play with the team. Rodriguez’s last match was, precisely, the Copa America final on July 14 in Miami.
“Five weeks have passed since he played in the Copa América final and he’s been on holiday; we’re not going to risk his season by risking one game. He has to be handled carefully, he’s like a Formula 1 driver, he has to last the whole season,” Presa added to the press.
