The 2025 season for James Rodríguez has taken an exciting turn. After parting ways with Rayo Vallecano,the Colombian playmaker revitalized his career by crossing the Atlantic to join Club León,a team that boasts three of his fellow countrymen: Stiven barreiro,Stiven Mendoza,and Edgar Guerra.
His debut in Mexican football couldn’t have been more extraordinary. Despite having only a handful of training sessions, Rodríguez was swiftly included in the lineup by coach Eduardo berizzo. His presence proved pivotal as León staged a remarkable comeback against Atlas in a challenging away match. Rodríguez injected energy into the attack, converted a crucial penalty to level the score, and played a key role in the goal that secured a 1-2 victory in Jalisco.
However, the triumph might be short-lived, according to reports from the Mexican press. Allegedly, Atlas could challenge the match result due to an unusual procedural oversight by León.
It’s worth noting that James Rodríguez isn’t the only high-profile addition to León’s roster for 2025. The club’s management also succeeded in persuading the legendary Andrés Guardado to come out of retirement and play his final professional matches with the Fiera.
Although the seasoned midfielder didn’t make the matchday squad under Eduardo Berizzo, he accompanied the team to Guadalajara to support them. Despite not being guaranteed playing time during the January 18 clash, Guardado actively participated in the team’s pre-match drills, even engaging in rondos and sharing light-hearted moments with James.
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This has led local media to speculate that Atlas might file a complaint of “improper alignment.” According to Liga MX regulations, this occurs when “a player not listed on the official lineup sheet enters the field of play, either as a starter or substitute.”
So far, the league has remained silent on the issue, likely as it views pre-match warm-ups as outside the scope of the rule. Additionally, Atlas coach Gonzalo Pineda has made it clear that he has no interest in claiming victory “on paper.”
“Personally, I prefer to win on the field, not through technicalities. If anything happens, it will be a matter for the board to handle,” he stated.
