James Rodriguez delighted with Bayern Munich’s appointment of Niko Kovac
James Rodriguez joined Bayern Munich under Carlo Ancelotti, blossomed under Jupp Heynckes, and is now relishing the prospect of working under Niko Kovac, the coach set to swap Eintracht Frankfurt for Bavaria in the summer.
It has been a whirlwind season for the former Real Madrid star, who, after a pedestrian start, exploded into life at the Allianz Arena, inspiring Bayern to a record sixth consecutive Bundesliga title with a direct hand in a goal every 83 minutes he has played.
Reinvigorated in a deeper, more central role than he was asked to perform under Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu, James is unfazed by the prospect of another potential positional shift under Kovac next season.
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“I try to be an option for every coach, whether it’s in midfield or further forward,” James told bundesliga.com following Bayern’s 5-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday. “I always try to support my teammates the best I can. The more I play, the more I feel I can give. That’s what I want, to always play!”
Kovac, like James, was a serial winner as a player. Injured when Croatia finished third at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, the Berlin-born 46-year-old went on to win the double of Bundesliga and DFB Cup with Bayern in 2003, and James has little doubt about the coach’s ability to swell both of their trophy cabinets.
“He’s a young coach and he has done well at Eintracht Frankfurt,” enthused the Colombian, who top-scored at the 2014 World Cup with six goals. “I hope he comes here with a big desire to win titles. That’s what a big club always wants.”