Ancelotti Reveals Reason Behind Mesut Ozil's Decision to Quit Madrid for Arsenal

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Mesut Ozil was not willing to fight for his place with the nine-time European champions, forcing him to make a move away from Santiago Bernaberu in the summer.

The German international signed for Arsenal on a £42.5 deal and the creative midfielder had admitted that the former Chelsea manager's lack of faith in him made him consider his future at Madrid.

Ozil earlier said: "It is very important for me that the coach shows faith in me and believes in me. I had no doubt that I would stay at Real Madrid when last season came to an end. But then something happened and I no longer had the coach's trust. At Arsenal on the other hand, I feel the exact opposite."

Ancelotti has rubbished those comments made by the German midfield star and admitted that he always preferred Angel Di Maria over Ozil in Madrid's starting lineup.

"He [Ozil] wasn't comfortable. I knew he'd been speaking with another club because he wanted to leave. I prefer to have Di Maria for the team's balance. Di Maria is better than Ozil for group dynamics," Ancelotti said, as quoted in Marca.

"Ozil understood that he had competition, that he wouldn't be able to play every game, and 'I'm off' was his answer," Madrid manager added.

Meanwhile, the Italian manager has backed Madrid's high-profile signing of the summer, Gareth Bale, to shine for the Spanish capital club. The former Tottenham Hotspur player has made only five starts from nine appearances for the La Liga giants in all competitions.

"Many fantastic players have had problems at Real Madrid. I've been told that Zidane was whistled when he first arrived," the Italian boss explained.

Ancelotti has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or this year. The former Manchester United star made it to the 23 man shortlist released by FIFA late last month. The Portuguese international lost the prestigious individual award to Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who won it for four years in a row from 2009.

"I'd award it to Cristiano Ronaldo. If we're talking about technical ability then he's the best. He's a consummate professional," Ancelotti stressed.