Jose Rodriguez Martinez joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on a season-long-loan deal from German outfit Mainz 05 after an agreement has been reached between the clubs for the 22-year-old Spanish midfielder.
Rodriguez, 181cm, spent the past six months on loan at Malaga, successfully underwent a medical at the club and will wear the number 6 jersey at Maccabi.
Maccabi’s coach Jordi Cruyff told the club’s official website: “Rodriguez is a player who despite his young age has been through a lot of things. To be at the clubs and leagues he has been shows that he has many abilities and a lot of qualities. We just believe that he needs confidence and to be at a place which plays the kind of football which suits him. We hope that Maccabi could give him that stage so that he can show his true value and play many games this season”.
Rodriguez added: “I had other offers to go on loan from Mainz who wouldn’t have loaned me out to every club, but after speaking with Jordi I chose to join Maccabi Tel Aviv”
Born in the Alicante province, Rodriguez, made his first footballing steps in the youth academy of his local club Villajoyosa before joining Hercules and Real Madrid where he made his senior debut in 2012 under Jose Mourinho. Rodriguez represented Spain in all the young national teams from U17 to U21 and even captained the Spanish U19’s in the 2013 European championship. Four goals in 61 appearances for Real Madrid B’ as well as two goals in 27 appearances during a season long-loan-deal at Deportivo La Coruna in 2014/15 resulted in a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray before Mainz bought Rodriguez in the summer of 2016.
