Real Madrid drama: Ronaldo and Bale at odds
Real Madrid have a serious problem
Zinedine Zidane has a real problem on his hands at Real Madrid. His two biggest attacking stars, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, are at odds with one another over their roles on the pitch. Their disagreement might be the one thing that could derail Los Blancos’ La Liga title hopes.
Reports from Spain claim that both men blame one another for failing to reach their full potential this season. Ronaldo believes that Bale’s presence on the pitch robs him of the number of scoring opportunities he’s enjoyed in the past. Bale, believes that Ronaldo’s presence on the pitch prevents him from playing his preferred position on the right-wing.
This is exactly the sort of issue that many people expected would occur eventually. Each player is a tremendous attacking talent, but there’s only one ball on the pitch. Creating sufficient opportunities for both players is a challenge, even for a club as talented as Real Madrid.
It’s also the sort of problem that numerous other managers would love to have. Managing superstars like Bale and Ronaldo is a privilege. Figuring out how to keep both of them happy is a big reason that Zidane draws such a healthy salary.
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The obvious question is how will Zidane react to the issues. The simple solution would be to do almost nothing in the short-term. He can discuss each player’s issues individually, but there isn’t much to be done. It’s not as if Zidane is going to drastically shift his tactics this late in the season.
The most interesting question is whether or not the power struggle will impact the club’s future. Rumours are already swirling that Florentino Perez is already working on an exit strategy for Ronaldo. It’s quite possible that he will accelerate that plan to make sure Bale doesn’t become disenchanted with life in Spain. The Welshman is clearly the future of the club over Ronaldo given his age.
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At this point, it still seems like a pretty minor conflict, but it’s worth monitoring over the coming weeks. This could be the early warning signs for a problem that could drastically alter Real Madrid’s future.