Rafa Benitez called Sergio Ramos to explain comments after Atletico clash. The Real Madrid boss openly criticised Ramos after a mistake. Ramos hit back at Benitez by questioning his tactical decisions. Benitez decided to replace goalscorer Karim Benzema with Mateo Kovacic. The tactician has already fallen out with Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
seems alive and kicking at Real Madrid after Rafa Benitez was
pressured into calling Sergio Ramos to explain comments he made about
the player after Sunday’s Madrid derby draw.
Benitez
had been asked after the game if any of the mistakes had particularly
upset him and he bemoaned Ramos’ moment of madness in the first half
that saw him give the ball away and then recover only to fly into a
tackle in the area and concede a penalty.
‘What upset me the most was the Ramos error when he gives the ball away by taking an unnecessary risk,’ the coach said.
Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez called Sergio Ramos to explain his recent post-match comments
Benitez openly criticised Ramos after the Spain international gave the ball away ahead of Atletico's equaliser
Ramos hit back at Benitez while on international duty by questioning the Real manager's substitutions
Ramos
responded to the criticism two days later when he met up with the Spain
squad for international duty and said: ‘We could talk about my mistake
or we could talk about the substitutions that were made in the game. We
all learn from our mistakes, players and coaches.’
It
was a reference to Benitez taking goalscorer Karim Benzema off in the
second half and it was a clear message to Benitez – bury me in public
and I’ll bury you too.
Benitez
called Ramos on Wednesday to smooth things over telling him that there
had been no malice in his comments and he was merely answering a
question – albeit with an ill-advised lack of tact.
Ramos
joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema on the list of dressing room
heavyweights that Benitez has had run-ins with in his first two months
in charge – wounds that will quickly heal over if Real can pull away
from Barcelona’s walking wounded at the top of the table; but there is
no sign of that happening at the moment.
Real are unbeaten but they have drawn three games of the opening seven – that’s six points dropped already.
Benzema
could argue that under Benitez he is enjoying his best form for over a
year but he has been taken off in six of his eight starts this season
and he was not happy about it happening at the Vicente Calderon on
Sunday having put his team ahead. ‘The substitution? You had better ask
the manager,’ was his reply to questions post-match about being replaced
by midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
Benitez said Cristiano Ronaldo was 'one of the best players in the world' instead of 'the best'
Karim Benzema looks frustrated as he makes his way off the pitch during his side's draw with Atletico
Benitez's
fall-out with Ronaldo at the start of the season seems to have set the
tone. At first he said Ronaldo was ‘one of the best’ players in the
world instead of 'the best' and he was then embroiled in more
controversy when he refused to name Ronaldo as the best player he had
ever coached.
In
the build-up to the Champions League group game against Shakthar
Dontetsk he said: ‘I cannot say Ronaldo is the best I have ever coached
because I have had some very good players.’
The
answer left Spanish reporters and Madrid supporters scratching their
heads as to who of the players he had managed, Benitez might believe was
a better player than the three-times Ballon d’Or winner who is now Real
Madrid’s all-time top scorer.
Benitez
has since said that he speaks with Ronaldo every day and that the two
have a healthy relationship. But the Real Madrid players that last
summer tweeted their displeasure at Carlo Ancelotti’s sacking have not
warmed to a manager who succeeded at Valencia and at Liverpool where
there were far fewer superstar players to fall out with.
Benitez decided to replace Benzema with Mateo Kovacic in the 77th minute despite his goalscoring heroics
One
player who was less upset by Ancelotti’s departure was Gareth Bale who
didn't like the way the Italian coach seemed to overload him with
defensive responsibilities in the second half of the season playing him
wide right of a 4-4-2. He is now back in a front three with plenty of
license and liberty to attack and he seems happy. But Bale has also been
used as a stick to beat Benitez with by his critics.
Ahead
of Wales’ crucial qualifier with Bosnia he said: ‘It was good to get
some minutes under my belt for Madrid at the weekend.’
It
was a harmless comment but some have painted the picture of a player
who sees his club football as a mere warm-up to his international games
and have criticized Benitez for not picking the former Tottenham man
from the start at the weekend.
Had
Benitez done that it would have been at the expense of another forward
and he would still have left himself open to accusations of favouritism.
Benitez can't win at the moment but his team needs to if these
rumblings are not to escalate.
Real
Madrid are at home to Levante when La Liga returns but then the fixture
list gets a little more daunting. They play Paris Saint-Germain twice
in the Champions League; go away to in-form Celta Vigo who are third in
the table, visit Sevilla and entertain Barcelona. Such a run will make
or break Benitez’s currently fragile bond with his players.
Ronaldo showed his support for former boss Carlo Ancelotti (back) by praising the Italian after his sacking.
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