James Rodriguez’s adventure in Qatar is struggling to get off the ground. Worse, it is already experiencing great turbulence. The Colombian international (80 caps, 23 goals) has, in fact, seen red in his third appearance with Al-Rayyan, a club he joined on September 22 from Everton. The 30-year-old attacking midfielder literally tripped on Al-Arabi’s lawn on Saturday, receiving two warnings in just a few seconds (99th).
As his side pushed to equalize, the former Real Madrid player was initially given a yellow card for an alleged foul on Aaron Boupendza. However, the television images clearly show that it is the Gabonese who shows an excess of commitment and who commits a gross fault on the left-hander.
This refereeing error brought James Rodriguez out of his hinges. The South American star first told his four truths to the game director, before rushing in his direction, forcing several teammates to intervene. An attitude that logically earned a second rusk synonymous with expulsion for the Colombian.
The latter then applauded the official with irony, before removing his jersey and quitsr rapidly the bare-chested ground. In the process, Al-Rayyan failed to equalize and ended up bowing out (2-1).
