CARLO ANCELOTTI and Toni Kroos took a swipe at Eden Hazard when asked about his lack of game time.
The winger has managed only seven appearances this season, having struggled with injuries last campaign.
Hazard has been benched for Madrid's last five league matches and has not earned the right to play in the eyes of his manager.
Ancelotti told Eleven Belgium: "I'm not here to give each player minutes, I'm here to win games.
"I put the best starting eleven to win games. I don't look at how much a player earns or his age, it’s just about performances."
Hazard, 32, swapped Chelsea for Madrid in 2018 in a deal totalling £130million.
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But he has failed to hit the same heights in Spain, managing just seven goals in 73 games over the course of five seasons.
His poor run of form has led to speculation he could even seek a move away, with the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle previously linked.
Team-mate Kroos joined Ancelotti in refusing to show sympathy for the out-of-favour forward.
He told AS Diario: "Compassion is out of place in football. I don’t think Eden has a bad life.
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"You can pity people who are clearly going through it worse. It’s not about money, I just haven’t felt sorry for anyone in football.
"Of course, the situation has been difficult for a long time, but at the end of the day, everyone is to some extent responsible for their own situation.
"That’s why I think pity is out of place. I know Eden very well, we talk often, but I only pity people who are in very bad situations and Eden is not one of them."
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