Real Madrid Coach Explains Differences Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale

Paul Clement may not be a name on the tip of every fan's tongue when thinking of successful coaches over recent years, but his journey has been gilded with success in England, France and Spain.

This week, Carlo Ancelotti's assistant head coach spoke on the difference between two of the superstars currently under his tutelage at Real Madrid, the most expensive duo ever to have played, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail spoke to Madrid's man-behind-the-scenes, who broke down the reason why Madrid's biggest stars can hurt opposition in different ways:

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I think Gareth tends to come in between the lines a little bit more and play while Cristiano loves to take the ball and go directly to the goal. But both are athletes and goalscorers.

Football is simple. There is a goal and you have to try to put the ball in it. And I think that is what Cristiano thinks when he is playing.

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It doesn't take an expert like Clement to know this to be true of Ronaldo, as the Portuguese talisman is the highest scorer in elite football this year with 68 goals in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.co.uk.

The assessment of Bale seems suitable, too. Both players have their roots as wingers, but it's easy to forget that it was only several years ago that Bale initially made his transition from left-back to a more advanced position, his instinct in front of goal perhaps not as incisive as Ronaldo's.

The former Manchester United man, on the other hand, has always had his eye on the end product. His move to Madrid merely augmented his capability as a more central threat, and his goal count has soared as a result.

The main difference Clement highlights between the pair is the position in which they like to receive the ball. Bale drifts off his marker to exploit space in between the defence and midfield, whereas Ronaldo is happy receiving the ball to his feet with defenders tight to their man.

Bale actually testified to a difference in style between himself and Ronaldo prior to his move to the Bernabeu, per ESPN:

Clement has been a part of Ancelotti's backroom staff for four years now (a short stint at Ewood Park was the only break during that time), coaching some of the world's finest talents at Real and Paris Saint-Germain, but it was during their time together at Chelsea that the pair first teamed up.

Speaking on the difference between how things are run at Stamford Bridge compared to the Bernabeu, the 41-year-old says (per Clement):

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From day one (at Real) I noticed in similar training drills to the ones we used at Chelsea and PSG the execution here was at a much higher level. 

I can think of one exercise we have done at all three clubs and myself and Carlo (Ancelotti) looked at each other and then back at the players and we couldn’t believe the level they achieved.

Chelsea had fantastic players but they were different. They were a mature, powerful team, strong physically. PSG had a big range in quality but here, young players to old, the technical level is very high.

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With figures like Zinedine Zidane also in the coaching background, Madrid have all the tools both on and off the pitch to revive their most glorious years of the late 1950s and, indeed, the late 1990s.

Differing in style but destructively potent in their own regards, Ronaldo and Bale have already got their Real relationship off to a booming start and, with each player contracted to the club until 2018 and 2019 respectively, there is undoubtedly more to come.