James Rodriguez: Madrid exit was sad because I was fulfilling my dream

James Rodríguez found at Bayern Munich what he lacked at Real Madrid. Since his arrival in Germany, the Colombian playmaker has refound some of his best form, showing that he's capable of adapting and playing in any system Jupp Heynckes wants. 

Despite recovering his best form in the Bundesliga, James still thinks about his exit from Madrid with a certain meloncholy: "My departure was sad and it was tough because it was my dream [to play there]. But that's football, it's how it is. One year you're where you want to be, the next you're not."  

The Colombian star also spoke about his former coach at the Bernabeu. Despite not being a favourite, he said that Zinedine Zidane's decisions were "respectable". 

He added: "He is still my idol. He was a top player with a lot of quality. I don't know if there was a 'feeling' or not between us, but each coach has their preferences and I respect that. I can't say he unjust. When I got to Madrid I did well, but it's not worth thinking about too much now." 

During the interview, James also referred to those who criticised him when he was in Spain: "I can't accept them saying that I was training poorly. I was training a lot. Double, in fact. I always want to give my best. My conscience is clear, I trained well and when I played I gave everything. The things they said weren't right, they weren't fair with me, they said things to damage me."