Raúl Martín Presa, president of Rayo Vallecano, stated on Sunday that James Rodríguez is "a world-class footballer," but admitted that the Colombian player "didn't fit in as everyone had hoped" due to the team’s playing style.

James Rodríguez joined Rayo Vallecano on August 26, 2024, and on January 13, 2025, just four and a half months later, he was transferred to Club León in Mexico. During his brief stint with the team, he had minimal impact, playing only 203 minutes across seven matches (six in La Liga and one in the Copa del Rey), starting just two of them.

"We were fortunate to have a world-class player like James at Rayo. Unfortunately, due to our system of play, he didn’t fit in as we all would have wanted. We wish him the best of luck with León, in the upcoming Club World Cup, and in the next World Cup, as long as he doesn’t play against a Spanish team or the Spanish national team," said Raúl Martín Presa in statements to Movistar Plus before the match against Girona.