Real Madrid suffered an unexpected defeat by Athletic Club, effecting in direct eliminationfrom the Copa del Rey Quarter-Finalsthanks to an unfortunate goalin the dying minutes before the final whistle. France internationalKarim Benzema was absent from the match due to injury, but neither Luka Jovic, Gareth Bale, norEden Hazard set foot on the pitch, although some of them were expected to replace the striker.
With 15 minutes to go, after being urged by coach Carlo Ancelotti to ready himself along the touchline, it appeared as though Eden Hazard was set to be introduced. He did, however, have the misfortune of returning to the bench,as the Italian managersubstituted Eduardo Camavinga for Toni Kroos, sending the Belgian back.
The 62-year-old had already substituted Isco for Vinicius, but neither the Spaniard nor Camavinga had any impact on the game. It was a certainlyhumiliating situation for Hazard,which elicited a giggle from Wales captain Gareth Bale, who sat close. In fact, El Chiringuito, a Spanish television station caught the awkwardmoment on video.
Will Gareth Bale get punished?
The whole episode caused the Spanish media to wonder whether the 32-year-old winger would receive a fine for hisinadequate behavior. However,Carlo Ancelotti was noticeably irritated when a journalist asked him about it following the Bilbao defeat: “Why are Bale, Jovic, and Hazard being mentioned?
“How about talking about Daniel Carvajal or DanielCeballos? Are they also expected to be fined because they didn’t play? I made my decision, but if you are being honest, you would mention Ceballos, who didn’t play a single minute, and the other players who sat on the bench and didn’t participate. Everyone is on the same level,” said the Madrid coach.