James Rodriguez returns to Europe with Olympiacos

James Rodriguez has signed for Olympiacos after terminating his contract with Qatar Stars League club Al-Rayyan.

The Colombia international joined Al-Rayyan from Everton in September 2021, a little over a year after he had joined the Premier League side, with Rafael Benitez having deemed the playmaker surplus to requirements.

James made just 12 league appearances for Al-Rayyan, scoring four times, and on Thursday the club confirmed the mutual termination of the 31-year-old’s contract, enabling him to sign for Greek giants Olympiacos on a free transfer.

Olympiacos teased the arrival of the attacker, who claimed LaLiga and Bundesliga titles with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively, with a shirt featuring the number 10, before officially confirming the signing later on Thursday.

James starred at the 2014 World Cup, winning the Golden Boot and earning a switch from Monaco to Madrid, but he will not be making a swift return to Qatar later this year, with Colombia having failed to qualify for the tournament.

With Olympiacos featuring in the Europa League, James will be in line to make his first appearance in a UEFA competition since October 2019, when he played in the Champions League for Madrid.

Across his appearances in the Champions League, Europa League and the Super Cup, James has scored six goals and provided 12 assists.

#Olympiacos #Transfer pic.twitter.com/tBBGiUmG6s

— Olympiacos FC (47) (@olympiacosfc) September 15, 2022