They are 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and in the knockout stages of the Champions League – but Bayern Munich were handed another boost on Thursday as James Rodriguez confirmed he wants to stay at the club.
The Colombian midfielder was brought to Bavaria on a two-year loan deal from Real Madrid by Carlo Ancelotti last summer.
And despite a testing first few months with the German giants, the 26-year-old admitted he is ‘very happy’ at the club and has no plans to cut short his stay.
Speaking at the club’s winter break training base in Doha, Rodriguez said:
‘I’m staying here. My present is here and I’m very happy in Munich. I don’t want to think about anything else.’
The Bavarians looked in good spirits as they topped up their fitness levels having not played since the 1-0 away win over Stuttgart on December 16.
Training at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Bayern were pictured working on possession drills along with exercises to bring them back to full fitness ahead of a busy second half of the season.
Arjen Robben, David Alaba and Frank Ribery all took part in the session with 34-year-old Ribery looking sharp after returning from a serious knee injury sustained against Hertha Berlin in October.
Jupp Heynckes’ side are plotting a three-pronged trophy haul – Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League – to match what they achieved under the German boss five seasons ago.
‘I have a very good feeling with the team,’ said Rodriguez. ‘I hope things go well in the second half of the season because I still want to achieve a lot with this team.
‘Jupp Heynckes is a top coach – second to none worldwide. We speak a lot and it helps me that he speaks Spanish.’
The Bundesliga resumes on January 12 as Bayern make the trip to the BayArena to face Bayer Leverkusen.
