Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Bodo Illgner has said Rafa Benitez needs to tread carefully when it comes to rotating his line up or he could alienate some of the team’s biggest stars.
The new boss is famous for tinkering with his side and giving players rest when he feels the time is right.
But according to the German, that tactic could upset the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, who will not take too kindly to be told to take up their place on the bench.
Speaking to Sport1, Illgner said: “Ronaldo could become a problem for Benitez. He has to integrate him and Gareth Bale as part of the collective and maybe put them on the bench sometimes to allow them an essential break. In this case, Benitez has difficult work to do. He is known as a coach who likes to rotate but he has to do that in a smooth way. That will be his main challenge.”
The ex-West Germany keeper also gave his tuppence-worth on the sacking of former boss Carlo Ancelotti, saying he deserved another year at least.
“Ancelotti should have been allowed to continue working for another year because many things happened during a tenure that were not good for him. The sales of Xabi Alonso of Angel Di Maria were things that were not optimal for the structure of the team.
“But now Benitez begins again and can prove himself. Whether he fits in at Madrid, we’ll see in the coming months.”
