Ancelotti: Selfish Bale Sparked Real Madrid Exit

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Carlo Ancelotti has revealed how the “selfishness” of Gareth Bale contributed to a “mess” at Real Madrid and his subsequent departure from the club in 2015.

The Italian took the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013.

In his first season at the helm he delivered La Decima, with Real claiming the Champions League crown for the 10th time in their history. Ancelotti would last just one more year before being moved on, with club president Florentino Perez claiming that decision was “very difficult”.

“If there is something that drives me crazy, it is selfishness. When a player has to pass the ball and does not pass it,” Ancelotti told Il Napolista .

“I paid for that in the first person. At Madrid, I took off Bale in a game against Valencia. He had to pass the ball to [Karim] Benzema, who would have scored into an empty goal, but instead of that, he shot [and missed].

“It was the reason that triggered an argument with Florentino, I took him off and the mess began there.”

Ancelotti, who moved to Bayern on the back of his spell in Madrid, is now back in his native Italy with Napoli.

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