James Rodriguez: Analysis of Criticism and Controversy in Everton and Colombia – Sports – Sports

James scores, but the goal was not beautiful. does passive, but it sure was carom. Tira 1 tunnel, And it must be that he just wants to show off. He is injured and is not training well. He laughs, and he doesn’t take it seriously. He regrets, and is that he has no character. He talks, and they ask him to be on the street. Shut up, and ask him to speak. Such is the life of the sporting idol, a prisoner of public opinion, cornered between those who enjoy its rise and those who enjoy its fall. James lives immersed in the eternal commentary, in the fierce criticism, And in a notoriety from which he cannot escape.

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He is one of the best footballers that Colombia has given. What made one Magic World Cup in 2014, Who scored six goals, which made him one in Uruguay as if he had kicked it with the golden guava they gave him afterwards. This is the footballer who went to the Real Madrid, Which came to be worth 80 million euros, which hit the sky with one head. He is the famous footballer that everyone talks about, for better or worse, the one of almost 47 million fans Instagram, Which cannot move a foot without something sprouting or breaking around it.

However, his fame, his wake and his football faculties they do not always generate unanimity or praise; on the contrary, they sometimes arouse antipathy. He judges James because he does and because he doesn’t. is this idol that being at the top he faces the insatiable pressure, the anonymous mockery, the wall of the nets. James attracts the comment as he draws the ball to his left. Public opinion watches over his movements, and while some celebrate his fantasy, others are carried away by the notoriety they created in Spain, with all that was said about him, that the night in Madrid was the his close friend, who didn’t train well or who got mad if he didn’t play … These rumors marked him. And other more specific facts fueled the disease, such as his bad relationship with Zidane, his substitutes in Madrid, or private affairs such as his separation from Daniela Ospina, Its commitment to the model Shannon de Lima, Or his decision to rent a womb to have a child, as Ronaldo did. Since arriving in England, what is being talked about is his string of mysterious injuries at Everton, where he has already played four games in a row without playing. At 29, the idol cannot escape his media maze.

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‘Dehumanized warrior’

From a point of view sociological, James, as an idol he is, cannot escape the relentless pressure of society, the one that will always expect more from him, that demands of him and does not forgive him. Alejandro Villanueva, Sociologist and sports expert, analyzes the case.

“It must be understood that what happens to James is known in the sociology of sport as the epic tragedy of the sports warrior, that is, we climbed to the top, but we forget that the idol is a person, father of a family, a human being, and that the idol has much of the idiosyncrasy of the Colombian people. The rest of this tragedy is sunset, we have to understand that James is in terms of downward curve, and that is complex to understand for sports fans, but especially for the athletes themselves, ”he says.

James is talked about with the same intensity whether he plays or not. There is speculation about his injuries with the same intrigue with which he talks about his sessions video games. In the networks there are those who tell him that he does not sacrifice, that he does not run, there are even those who insinuate that he does not train to the maximum, even if no one knows how he trains, and they even question the its importance in the Selection. They think about where they should play, in which club, in what position … And all with a certain ferocity, with a certain wisdom as a fan.

Francisco Maturana, The most successful coach in Colombia and also known for the bitter taste of criticism, says: “This happens with these people who are icons. That anyone feels right and knows what he should do, and a lot of they don’t know what they should do in their lives. “

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James has had other recent episodes that have fueled this notoriety. His fight with Freddy Racó, After James assured, with a mischievous laugh, that he was the best footballer in the history of Colombia. Or your demand to the doctor Héctor Fabio Creu, Who said James was walking out of focus and more eager to fix his eyebrows, a statement he had to retract. Or the most recent event, when he was singled out for leading an alleged revolt in the dressing room of the National Team, which he denied in a statement. Is that being such a renowned athlete has its implications, to the point that every sports critic ends up linked to the extra-sporty, To speculation, to malicious and unproven comments.

However, whatever is said about James or against James, the controversies, Controversies, good and bad, do not always play against the stellar footballer. That’s where they say it’s better to talk, even if they speak badly.

Fernán Martínez is a renowned artist manager. He worked at the time with James. He knows him, and with this knowledge he opines: “There are no warriors without scars. When a person becomes a legend they look at him with a microscope. Everything that is said about James, positive or negative, his legend grows, generates interest, morbidity and has no influence on the track. James is simply the greatest media figure in Colombia. “

Former footballer Jorge Valdano also said this in 2016, when he commented on James: “He is young and handsome, which does not lead to winning games, but to being attractive to the media, to generating noise on the networks, to sell t-shirts “.

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‘Deaf ears’

Being at the center of public opinion is part of being a star. Those who shine must learn to handle this dangerous monster of a thousand heads. It has happened to many athletes in the world and in Colombia, for example, the cyclist Nairo Quintana, who was attacked when the victory was hidden from him, and other footballers who, like idols, endure, like Falcao García himself, for his injuries or his bad sporting moments. even WrappedAnd, the best footballer at the moment, has suffered this fierce tragedy. It’s as if after being on top, the idol no longer has room for a stumble or a failure.

That if James slips everything that is said about him, it is impossible to know, but as an elite athlete, there are approximations. Felipe Camacho he is a sports psychologist, has worked with professional clubs and high performance athletes. He believes that as people are always going to think, you need to be prepared.

“We do what we do, people are always going to talk, whatever it is; obviously, when he’s an athlete like James he’s more exposed to criticism, he’s more visible, like a target on target for everyone to point out their criticism,” he says, and proposes that there are four avenues the athlete faces in the face of comments. “Fighting, which I call sticking; saddening or believing what people say; praying and wearing to want to convince, and being clear that people will talk, and the damage is not in the comments but in the magnitude I give them. athletes are trained to shield themselves from destructive criticism.If it is constructive, you can listen, but somehow you have to be deaf to the comments, because people are always going to talk and no one is gold coin to please everyone, ”he says.

James has to deal with his own role as a star, the shadows that darken his sporting brilliance and the weight he carries on his back: that of being James Rodriguez, The one who lives the tragedy of the idol.

PABLO ROMERO
Editor of EL TEMPS
On Twitter: @ PabloRomeroET