James Rodriguez has claimed that Bayern Munich could be “even bigger” than Real Madrid after joining the Bundesliga champions on a two-year loan deal earlier this month.
The 26-year-old midfielder struggled to establish himself at the Bernabeu following his big money move from Monaco in 2014, and has the option of a permanent transfer to Bayern in 2019.
And Rodriguez has insisted upon his arrival that Bayern are just as reputable a club as Los Blancos, with an equally talented squad.
“Bayern Munich is just as big a club as Real Madrid, if not even bigger,” he told Bild. “I always had a lot of respect for Bayern but when I was mulling over the move to Munich, I looked at the squad and thought: ‘There’s just as many stars here as at Real and the quality is exactly the same.'”
Asked about his knowledge of the club’s history, Rodriguez said: “Above all I remember Oliver Kahn — one of the biggest personalities in world football.
“He always represented FC Bayern’s never-say-die mentality. Oliver Kahn has a very strong character and he always wanted to win, something I connect to this club. Many players have become legends in Munich.”
Rodriguez has credited coach Carlo Ancelotti, with whom he played under at Real Madrid, as a major factor in his decision to join Bayern:
“We haven’t worked together the past couple of years but we always stayed in touch,” he said. “That helped me a great deal and I missed the ‘Mister’ as a coach. We have a super relationship, it’s fun to work with Carlo and I’m pleased that we are reunited again.”