The arrival of Luis Zubeldía hasn’t changed James Rodríguez’s situation at São Paulo so far. In fact, the Colombian was once again left out of the matchday squad against Vitória for Matchday 5 of the 2024 Brasileirão, in which the Tricolor won 3-1.
“I make decisions based on what I see, and that’s why I’m here, to make decisions. If James isn’t there, it’s because I believe other teammates need to be there (…). I’m clear about my profession and my responsibility,” said Zubeldía when asked about James’ absence.
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“A coach is always making decisions, and together with my staff, we ensure that those decisions are always in favor of the group and are, for the most part, positive,” added the Argentine coach, who boasts three victories and one draw in Brazil.
“The coach will be judged by the final result, right? But there’s something I’ve learned in 15 years in the profession: that decisions will always be based on what I see and the overall picture. So, everyone is considered, but at the end of the day or before the matches, I have to make decisions.”
James came close to leaving the club earlier this year, and even though he ultimately settled to stay, he still hasn’t managed to establish himself in the starting lineup. He has made only eight appearances in 2024 so far, with just two starts.
Unless he shows a huge improvement in his physical and footballing form in training, Zubeldía doesn’t seem to have a problem in keeping James out of the team.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the first four episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
