James Rodriguez’s departure from Rayo Vallecano has lifted a weight off the club in recent days.
The Colombian completed a shock summer move back to the Spanish capital after leaving Sao Paulo in August.
However, despite the excitement over his arrival in Vallecas, the 33-year-old’s impact has been limited.
Just one La Liga start was a stark indicator of his lack of prominence and the club have terminated his contract after just five months at Rayo.
Part of the exit package includes Rodriguez giving up the ‘promotional part’ of his contract, which was around €1.2m.
Rayo have secured successive wins since the start of 2025 and kicked off their La Liga return with a 2-1 home win over Celta Vigo.
The boisterous Bukaneros called for boss Inigo Perez to come onto the pitch at full time -as per Relevo – with supporters chanting against Rodriguez’s lack of commitment to the cause and his rumoured preference for parties.
