'It's annoying' that James has problems with Zidane, says Barcelona star Arturo Vidal

Despite currently being bitter rivals on the pitch, Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal and Real Madrid outcast James Rodriguez are good friends. Vidal recently spoke up about James' situation at the capital and says that "it's annoying" how the Colombian and head coach Zinedine Zidane are not getting along.

Vidal and James are former teammates who both played for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Despite going their separate ways to rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, Vidal says "James and I are brothers, we forged an incredible friendship in Munich."

In an interview with Win Sports, Vidal further revealed that he and the 2014 World Cup golden boot winner are still in constant contact. "We talk all the time, on holiday we did and it's annoying that he has problems with the coach," said Vidal, as quoted by Marca.

The Barcelona star questioned why his friend was not given more chances to prove himself after returning to Spain this season. James spent two years on a loan spell in Germany, but Bayern didn't exercise a buy-out clause, forcing him to return.

Since the start of his second spell as Real Madrid, the Colombian forward only appeared in 14 matches. He was entirely left out of the remaining five crucial games of the season, after he reportedly asked Zidane not to include him in the lineup.

When Real Madrid clinched the 2019-20 La Liga title last week, James did come to the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in civilian clothes alongside an injured Marcelo. During the trophy presentation, he could be seen awkwardly joining his teammates as they took turns holding up the trophy. James stayed on the sidelines and was hardly seen handling the trophy at all. The only proof that he touched it was a photo he posted on Instagram more than 24 hours later.

For his part, Vidal has had more success at Barcelona. He is a consistent starter and has linked up well with both Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. The Chilean expressed his desire for his friend to find a team that will allow him to showcase his talents, and the sooner he does it, the better. "I think people, football admirers, love to see quality players and James is one of them. He has to grow, search for his future and find a place to play and enjoy football," he said.