In 2021, James Rodríguez surprised when he left Everton in the Premier League to try his luck in Qatari football. The Colombian striker was signed by Al-Rayyan, a club where he had one of the worst seasons of his career, suffering multiple injuries and playing just 16 games in a year. The “10” of the coffee team also suffered off the field as he never adapted to the country, which led to his departure.
In a recent interview with Globo Esporte, the current player of Sao Paulo He was encouraged to share some anecdotes about his time in the exotic Middle Eastern country. “Qatari culture is very difficult. It was a country where adaptation was much more difficult,” he revealed.
One aspect that surprised the driver was the familiarity with his club mates. “In football, when everyone takes a bath, they are left without anything (clothes) and that's when my teammates told me: 'No, no, you can't stay like that.' “I was scared,” James added.
James Rodríguez only played for Al-Rayyan for one year. Photo: EFE
Another culture shock that the South American footballer suffered was that he did not share the Qataris' habit of eating with their hands. The Colombian explained that he never got used to it and even asked his colleagues about this strange tradition.
“Everyone eats together with their hands. They told me and I said, “No, thank you.” I asked for the cutlery and they told me, “No, by hand,” and I told them they were crazy: “You guys are crazy, I won't.” eat with your hand,'” the midfielder added.