James Rodriguez has threatened legal action against media 'misinformation' after Colombia suffered a double blow to their 2022 World Cup hopes.
Everton superstar Rodriguez was part of the squad that lost to Uruguay last week before being thrashed 6-1 by Ecuador on Tuesday in CONMEBOL qualification.
The defeats left Colombia seventh in a 10-team group with four matches played but reports in South America claimed the 29-year-old was involved in a physical confrontation with team-mates after the visit of Uruguay.
Rodriguez released an official statement in response on Thursday evening slamming the 'false stories' and maintaining he holds an 'excellent and respectful relationship' with his international team-mates.
"To the public opinion, the media and fans in general, I dismiss all kinds of supposed information alluding to mistreatment, aggression, disputes or all kinds of controversy raised between players and in which I am mentioned as the protagonist," he said.
"After the World Cup qualifying commitments that took place on November 13 and 17, 2020, what happened on the court and the unfortunate results have not prospered beyond what the game represents.
"Both in the dressing room and in my personal life, I maintain excellent and respectful relationships with each of my teammates from the Colombian National Team.
"The moment is complex from the sporting point of view, we players are the first to recognise our responsibility.
"However, as a group we remain united and with the intact dream of qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, something for which we will work even harder.
"For the above, we need to clear all kinds of doubts about what harmony and the environment in the dressing room represent, which although it is affected from the soul has never passed into conflict between us its members.
"Finally, I ask everyone not to fall further into the misinformation of these slanders. Those responsible and creators of these false stories only intend to foment discord and chaos by affecting my name, so I will proceed in law where necessary."
