Gareth Bale has finally left Real Madrid after nine seasons, three La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, a Copa del Rey and more than his fair share of controversy. But what’s happened to the Real Madrid starting XI from his debut back in 2013?
Long before the moaning, the criticism and ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid,’ Bale was signed for €100million from Tottenham as one of the world’s most exciting players. He’d lit up the Premier League with wondergoals and match-winning displays and looked every bit as good as that transfer fee suggested.
He made his competitive Madrid debut against Villarreal in a La Liga game on September 14, scoring before being taken off for Angel Di Maria as Madrid drew 2-2 away from home.
We’ve had a look back at the team that started that game, lined up in a 4-2-3-1, and what they’ve done since.
GK: Diego Lopez
Lopez arrived for a second stint at boyhood club Real Madrid in January 2013 and as a short-term replacement for the injured Iker Casillas.
One imagines he expected to go straight onto the bench when Casillas was fit again. Instead, his arrival was the start of a wild saga.
After a string of good performances, manager Jose Mourinho insisted that Lopez was the better of the two ‘keepers and kept him in the team, even when San Iker had recovered.
It was the final straw for many of Madrid’s senior players, who told Florentino Perez that either Mourinho left in the summer or they would.
Mourinho was given the boot but Lopez retained his place for La Liga matches even after the arrival of Mourinho’s successor Carlo Ancelotti, with Casillas used in cup and European games.
Lopez left in 2014, however, moving to AC Milan. He has been at Espanyol since 2017 and is still going at the age of 40.
RB: Dani Carvajal
Carvajal was making just his fourth Real Madrid start in the game against Villarreal having returned to the club when Madrid activated their €6.5million buyback clause to repatriate him from Bayer Leverkusen.
He has since gone on to play 325 more games, making himself one of the most reliable full-backs in the world and winning five European Cups.
A club legend and a stalwart of one of the most successful eras in Madrid’s history.
CB: Pepe
One half of the ultimate shithouse centre-back pairing.
READ: An ode to Pepe, the original shithouse who warmed up the throne for Ramos
CB: Sergio Ramos
The other half of the ultimate shithouse centre-back pairing.
LB: Nacho
Nacho. He’s always there, isn’t…
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