Gareth Bale is one of the most authoritative voices about Real Madrid. With five Champions League titles, four Club World Cups, three European Super Cups, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups under his belt, the Welsh football legend knows what goes on in the engine room of one of the greatest teams in the history of football.
That’s why Real Madrid’s number 11 had so much to analyze in his talk with Ian Wright, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes on the Stick to Football Magazine podcast, especially about Carlo Ancelotti, Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos. He also spoke about Manchester United, the Champions League and how close he came to a move to Madrid. “When I got there, I realized that they prioritized the Champions League. It’s difficult to be in Spain because you know that with these two teams (Barça and Madrid), probably Atlético, you can win more than half of the games. It’s not like the Premier League. We’re not taking it easy, but we’re just prioritizing the Champions League. The atmosphere in the stadiums is even better, for the fans and for the president. They’re putting more emphasis on the Champions League.”
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We knew that if we were to play against Barça or Bayern, we would implement some tactics and for the rest of the games we would finish with minimal possession plays, small goals and shots…
Florentino Pérez: “He’s the president and his presence made it feel even bigger just to be there. After all, he’s the president and you don’t want to let him down. He signed you, he trusts you and you have a relationship with him that probably doesn’t exist with other club owners. He likes to be there and he likes to be in the spotlight. It’s like a political office, like the president of Barcelona or Atletico. They want to leave a legacy, but obviously there are people under him who control the whole club.”
Pressure and press: “In pre-match training, the hallways are full of media. There are newspapers that only feature Real Madrid. It’s not like England. You know you can’t take your foot off the gas because they’re going to come after you. You know you have to be careful because they’ll sell you and someone else will come. I had to grow up very quickly.”
Many people supported me after scoring that goal in the final. Even though I paid a lot of money to sign the contract, I didn’t really care…
The appeal of Madrid: “A lot of players went there and it was a very glamorous, glamorous atmosphere, but it was never like that for me. I just wanted to go there and play football and go home. I didn’t want the circus that comes with it. I just wanted to play football and be with my family. If I had played a little bit more, there probably would have been less attacks from the press and the fans.”Discussion about leaving the stadium early: “I remember leaving the game. If you were injured, you could leave 10 minutes before the end of the game, that was the rule. I left in the 82nd minute to avoid traffic and had my photo taken. I thought I was doing the same thing as everyone else. I know I probably got more criticism than I should have, but I was true to myself.”
He played golf once every two or three weeks, the press created such a character.
Wales. golf. Madrid banner: “That had nothing to do with me (laughs). There was a flag, but… the Spanish press created it. I played golf once every two or three weeks. The press created that character. It never bothered me. I had a rule that I didn’t play golf 40 hours before a match. I was a professional. You turn on the fans and it gets out of control.”Playing with Cristiano and Benzema: “We got along very well in the dressing room. There were no problems. Karim was very calm and I got along very well with him, but he kept to himself. We never argued or fought. We played together a lot. Cristiano and I were on the wing and there was more of a spark, but he was holding everything together. I came in as the last piece of the puzzle.”Tactical work: “We didn’t do a lot of tactical work… If you look at the team, they were all the best in their positions. You know your teammates too. For example, Cristiano isn’t going to come back to defend much, so maybe I’ll have to sacrifice myself a little bit. The coach will obviously give you some things to do, but it’s not rocket science.”
Cristiano would say otherwise (laughs). But yes, I’d like to think it was
Goal in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona: “It was the first season I was criticized. A lot of people hated me for scoring that goal in the final. I paid a lot of money to sign and I didn’t care…”Cristiano Ronaldo: “When I started watching him[in England]he was definitely a winger. When he got to Madrid, I felt he was starting to transition into being a goalscorer. He was non-stop just to score in training and in matches. He was always ambitious. That’s why he had so many records. I would say Ramos was the biggest leader. Cristiano had an ego and was a leader in his own right, but in terms of being a team leader it was Ramos.”
Cristiano’s personality: “You have to think that’s his driving force (complains when he’s not given). He just wants to score. He’s chasing records, he wants to overtake Messi.”
Against Barça: “They were always the toughest opponent. Every time we played against Guardiola at Barça or Bayern, we felt like we were chasing shadows for 80 minutes and then we just had to counter-attack. I scored a few goals against them, but not as many as I would have liked. We had a team that was perfect for counter-attacking. Low blocks, calmness… We knew that and accepted it.”Were you the fastest on the team?: “Cristiano would say no (lol). But yes, I’d like to think I was.”
Zidane: “He also played in Italian football and understood the defensive side of it. But he didn’t overdo it… If we played against Barça or Bayern, we knew we would do a little bit of tactics, but for the rest it would be minimal, normal training sessions, possession. It just ends with a game, a small goal, a shot. In a big game, you do 15 minutes of defensive tactics instead of attacking, and that’s it. Especially when he was Carlo’s assistant, he was in the practice “and his legs were like spaghetti or jelly and had that feel. ”Difference with Ancelotti: “Carlo just had the best personal management. Even when he wasn’t playing, he made you feel like he was your best friend. He had an incredible ability to bring everyone together and make them happy.”
