Lopetegui backs "magnificent" Bale to fill Cristiano Ronaldo's shoes at Madrid

Lopetegui is confident that the 29-year-old along with everyone else on the team can fill the very large void created after the departure of Ronaldo

Speaking in Miami where Madrid are touring, he said: “We first recognise Cristiano as one of the most important players in the recent history of Real Madrid,”

“He vocalized his desire to leave and the club gave him all the facilities to do so. We wish him all the luck in the world.

He then expressed his confidence in the squad he currently has: “When it comes to our players, Bale and everyone else, we are completely convinced we have the players to move forward. Bale is a magnificent player with qualities and we are convinced he and everyone else can fill the void.

“He’s very, very happy. He’s very happy to play at Real Madrid. He’s happy to be here, and this is a fantastic opportunity for him to show his talent.

“I’ve talked to him like I’ve talked to everyone. He’s with the team, he’s happy, he’s in line with our goals and it’s a start of a new exciting path for us that I’m looking forward to.”