Bale will play for Real Madrid if he deserves it, insists Ancelotti
Martin Macdonald
- 5 Nov 2021 10:25 CDT
- 3 min read
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti insists Gareth Bale will return to the starting XI for Los Blancos if he deserves to.
This week, Bale was called up for international duty with Wales in slightly controversial fashion as he has been injured for Real Madrid over the last few weeks and will not make their squad for the upcoming La Liga fixture against Rayo Vallecano.
Last season, Bale went on loan to Tottenham and had a decent spell before heading back to Madrid, where he has not made an impact under Ancelotti, starting just three matches in all competitions so far.
Even though he has been a key player over the years, winning La Liga titles and several Champions League titles, he has been heavily criticised in more recent seasons prior to the switch to Spurs.
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He is widely expected to leave the club on a free transfer when his current deal expires in June.
Injuries have, again, played their part in his absences for this season, but Ancelotti has kept the door open for the Welshman to feature frequently in the team if he works hard, while also praising his past achievements with the club.
"In 2014 he helped us win the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, [and then] the Champions League against Liverpool," the Italian explained.
"The fans are not forgetting this. He is not having his best spell, but we have to have faith. When he comes back from the national team, if he deserves to play, he will play.
"If the national team calls him up, we have to send him there. We explain how the situation is and then Wales have a week to assess the situation. I think Wales are not going to take a risk."
Ancelotti understands player frustrations
Bale's situation is similar to that of Eden Hazard, who is now fit yet finds himself on the bench.
Against Shakhtar during the week in the Champions League, the Belgian was an unused substitute, with Ancelotti preferring to use Lucas Vazquez on the wing, while Luke Jovic was brought on ahead of him from the bench.
Ancelotti admits that players have the right to be frustrated at a lack of minutes, and believes it shows they have desire.
"Yesterday I spoke with a player, I won't say the name, and he told me an interesting thing," he revealed.
"He told me that he understood that sometimes a player is replaced because he is not doing well. I asked him why he was angry then. And he told me: 'A player who doesn't get angry after being subbed is not a player.'
"He gets angry with the coach, not with the person. I got angry with [Fabio] Capello when he didn't put me on and he told me that, when I became a coach, I would understand. Now I understand it very well."
