Ancelotti takes swipe at Bale

The former Real Madrid boss has slammed the winger for going behind his back to complain to president Florentino Perez.

Former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hit out at Gareth Bale over the Welshman's decision to instruct his agent to talk to club president Florentino Perez over his unhappiness rather than approach him directly.

Bale was a key figure for Madrid in Ancelotti's first season in charge, scoring crucial goals in both the Champions League and Copa del Rey finals.

The Italian's relationship with the former Tottenham star deteriorated in 2014-15, though, as the 26-year-old demanded to play in a more central position, much to his coach's dismay.

"One morning in March I received a phone call from the Madrid general director saying that the president wanted to speak with me at the end of training that day. This was very unusual. When I visited the president, he told me that Bale's agent had been to his office to speak about the 'Bale situation'," Ancelotti writes in his book 'Quiet Leadership: Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches'.

"In January, Bale's agent had been saying things and perhaps felt his position was strong because he had already spoken with the president. Now he was telling the president that Bale was unhappy in his position. He wanted to play more centrally.