James Rodríguez released by Greek club Olympiakos

Colombian attacking midfielder James Rodríguez was released by Olympiakos on Thursday, a day after the club was knocked out of the Greek Cup.

The 31-year-old former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich player joined the Greek club last September and scored five goals in 23 appearances this season. Rodríguez's rise to prominence came after he won the Golden Boot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

"Olympiakos FC and James Rodríguez have decided to terminate their cooperation," the club said in a statement. "James will always be part of our club and a member of the ‘red-and-white’ family. We want to thank him for his service, and we wish him every success in the future."

Rodríguez released a statement on Twitter following his release.

"I would like to thank everyone for all the time that we have spent together," Rodríguez tweeted. "Although we are going our separate ways, I feel that I will always be a member and welcomed in the family of the great port Piraeus. I wish all the best to Olympiacos and every success in the future.

Olympiakos is six points behind joint leaders Panathinaikos and AEK Athens in the Greek league and lost to AEK 4-2 on aggregate in the Greek Cup semifinals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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