In a bid to ensure two of his most prized assets get along as harmoniously as possible, Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez reportedly phoned Gareth Bale to address rumours of a rift with team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
That's according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER, which claimed Bale informed his manager over the phone there is no animosity between the players and was encouraged by Benitez to tell his wing partner the same thing (h/t Sport).
The fact Bale went so far as to receive therapy—as mentioned in the Daily Mail (h/t Sport)—in order to shrug off the pressures of the Bernabeu amid an allegedly heated dressing room goes some way to illustrating the Real atmosphere.