In a surprising survey, James Rodriguez of Real Madrid has been voted the "ideal lover" by Colombian women.
According to Shea Driscoll of the Straits Times, the survey, which was conducted by a salacious dating website, indicated that 41 percent of 3,100 women named the 23-year-old footballer as the perfect partner for an extra-marital affair. The women described him as "attractive, athletic and reserved."
However, those women may be disappointed to find out that he is a devout Christian who is married to beach volleyball player Daniela Ospina. An Associated Press article published back in July 2014 reported that Rodriguez goes to church along with other members of the Colombia squad.
"The faith seems to be a uniting element of the team, which usually gathers in a circle on the pitch and prays before matches," the Associated Press wrote.
Silly survey aside, Rodriguez is dealing with fellow Real Madrid player Gareth Bale. According to Alex Baker of FC Yahoo, Saturday's game, which did not include football legend Cristiano Ronaldo on the field, Bale tried to step up his game at the expense of Rodriguez.
"Bale intercepted a Karim Benzema pass that looked to be intended for James Rodriguez and sent his effort wide of the target when James was better placed for the shot," Baker wrote. "The former Spurs man was whistled by the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu and, after the match, a fresh round of allegations of him being 'selfish' surfaced in the Spanish press."
Despite Bale's failed attempt to score a goal, the overall effort was inconsequential, given that Madrid won again Real Sociedad 4-1 in the end. However, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti had to defend Bale, according to Baker.
"The Welshman does have priors after all, and was publicly dressed down earlier this month by Ronaldo for failing to pass," Baker wrote. "From the look on James' face, it was clear the Colombian was equally unhappy with Bale after today's incident."
Baker added that "Bale's individualistic tendencies could become a liability for Madrid at some point," noting that it could affect the team's performance in later stages of the Champions League or the La Liga race.
"Despite insisting that he remains happy at Real Madrid, Bale is clearly feeling pressure to perform," Baker wrote. "He came to Real expecting to play second fiddle to Ronaldo, but he may not have counted on competition from the likes of James."
As for Rodriguez, the Associated Press reported that he is "usually shy and a man of few words." However, it seemed that playing the game of football was in his family's blood.
"He is the son of an ex-footballer who left the family when Rodriguez was 3," the Associate Press wrote. "It was his step-father who took Rodriguez to a football school when he was 5 and where he usually played with boys who were advanced."
