James Rodriguez: Bayern might be 'even bigger' than Real Madrid

Jame Rodriguez believes Bayern Munich is one of the few teams in the world "bigger" than Real Madrid.

The Colombian international will call Munich home for the next two seasons, at least, after joining the Bundesliga champion from Real Madrid on a two-year loan move earlier this summer.

Before making the switch, Rodriguez revealed that he studied Bayern's squad and concluded that there wasn't much difference compared to the plethora of stars at Real Madrid.

"Bayern Munich is just as big a club as Real Madrid, if not even bigger," he told Sport Bild, as translated by Mark Lovell of ESPNFC. "I always had a lot of respect for Bayern but when I was mulling over the move to Munich, I looked at the squad and thought: 'There's just as many stars here as at Real and the quality is exactly the same.'"

Of all the world-class players to don a Bayern shirt over the years, Oliver Kahn is the one that comes to mind most easily for Rodriguez. He cited the German goalkeeper's intense attitude as a reason why the club appealed to him.

"Above all I remember Oliver Kahn - one of the biggest personalities in world football. He always represented FC Bayern's never-say-die mentality," Rodriguez said.

"Oliver Kahn has a very strong character and he always wanted to win, something I connect to this club. Many players have become legends in Munich."

Ultimately, the decision to join Bayern wasn't difficult as it afforded the midfielder a chance to reunite with manager Carlo Ancelotti, who coached Rodriguez at the Santiago Bernabeu following his transfer from AS Monaco to Real Madrid in 2014.

"We haven't worked together the past couple of years but we always stayed in touch," he said. "That helped me a great deal and I missed the 'Mister' as a coach. We have a super relationship, it's fun to work with Carlo and I'm pleased that we are reunited again."