Former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Nicholas Anelka has claimed that he struggled at Real Madrid because some of the squad were jealous of him, reports the Sun.
Anelka spent one season with Madrid after he joined from Arsenal in 1999 for a then-record fee of £22.3million.
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After failing to live up to expectations at the Bernabeu, Anelka left to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2000.
And recalling his experience with the Spanish giants Amelia said: “My life at Real Madrid was made difficult from day one because I was an outsider and many people did not want me to sign.
“The Spanish players at the club, particularly Hierro and Raul, are very close.
“So when I came in as a big money signing and took Raul’s place in the team – there were problems.”
Also, former Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque revealed that Anelka stopped turning up to training after claiming his team-mates did not celebrate his goals, accusing them of of not being happy for his success.
He said: “Anelka was a player that cost us a lot of money.
“Real Madrid wasted €25m (£22.3m) on him and he was signed as a star.
“He came into the dressing room one day and told us that we were not happy for his success, that we weren’t celebrating his goals.
“He didn’t come to training for a day or two and the club fined him.”
During his one season at Madrid, Anelka won the UEFA Champions League.
He won the Euro 2000 and 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup with the French national team.
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