HMemorable and deadly attacking trios like Real Madrid’s “BBC” gave people a lot to talk about. And as time passes, they continue to attract attention.
Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were the white team’s stars in the Merengue dressing room, but as the Welshman admitted, Sergio Ramos was not far behind.
Bale makes strong confession about CR7 and Ramos
The coexistence of many celebrities in the locker room has become one of the biggest conversations about what it’s like to spend your days surrounded by so many stars.
Gareth played most of his career at Real Madrid, where he stayed for eight seasons from 2013 to 2022, sharing the field with Spanish icon Sergio Ramos until 2018, after Cristiano left for Juventus, and until 2021.
Together they formed the backbone of one of Real Madrid’s most dominant cycles, winning four UEFA Champions League titles together, to name just one example where talent and leadership abounded in the team.
Bale, who is currently retiring from professional football in January 2023 after playing for Wales at the 2022 World Cup, revealed what it was like to share daily life with the two powerhouses. During a chat on the Overlap podcast (via TyC Sports), Gareth Bale reflected on his relationship with Cristiano, saying that he had “no problems” with him and that, in fact, they got along “well” despite being in a team surrounded by strong and demanding personalities.
But he asserted that the Portuguese “was a leader in his own right, but the captain was Sergio Ramos,” adding: “He was the one who called out to us in the dressing room, gave us pep talks, showed us respect.”
Despite this, Gareth did not hesitate to emphasize Cristiano’s professionalism and how demanding and influential a player he was, stating that Cristiano was always thinking about success, adding: “Whether in training or in matches, he did what he wanted.” All he had to do was score goals. In fact, if you don’t give him the ball, you can tell,” Bale said with a laugh, adding: “He wants to score, but not just one, he wants to score three, four or five if possible.”
The Welshman also said that his presence was a “mental advantage” because just seeing Cristiano on the field gave him confidence that he could score at any time, but also recalled that when he was on the field, “I and my other team-mates had to sacrifice more because we knew Cristiano wouldn’t defend as much.”
He also spoke about his personal relationship with another member of the BBC, with whom he has spent his entire career at Real Madrid. “Karim and I were very close. He was very reserved, he didn’t talk much, he was always with the French players, but we never had any friction or arguments.”
So Bale’s time with Cristiano, Sergio and Karim left a mark on him and the team, and beyond their differences in personalities and playing styles, their qualities were key to one of the club’s most successful periods.
