James Rodriguez has opened up about his experience in Qatar and his time in Germany during an interview with Globo Esporte.
Rodriguez found life in Qatar challenging, mentioning the difficulties he faced adapting to the culture and lifestyle of the country. He recounted, “Life and culture in Qatar are very difficult. It was a country that I had trouble adapting to.” One surprising issue for Rodriguez involved the football culture in Qatar. He detailed an incident where he realised he could not follow the usual routine of sharing showers with teammates. “Everyone knows that in football, under the showers, all the players are naked, but I couldn’t even do that. My colleagues told me it was forbidden. It was scary.”
Furthermore, Rodriguez found the local eating habits challenging too, as he shared, “During meals, everyone eats with their hands. I asked for cutlery and was told no.”
Recalling his time in Germany, Rodriguez spoke of the cold weather and perceived coldness of the local people. He recounted days when he woke up to freezing temperatures and questioned his decision to live in such a place. “It’s a cold country and the people are cold too. There were days when I woke up and it was freezing, a freezing cold, I just thought about what on earth I was doing there.”
Rodriguez’s remarks highlight the varying challenges international footballers face adjusting to different cultures and lifestyles across the globe.