Gareth Bale’s relationship with fans at Real Madrid turned sourer last Friday evening, as he was pictured pretending to sleep – by putting his face-mask over his eyes during their 2-0 victory over Alaves.
The Welsh winger’s relationship with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and the supporters was already fragile leading up to this incident, but this may be the final straw for the former Tottenham Hotspur player.
Bale, who turned 31 today, has made a mere 16 appearances in La Liga this season, scoring twice and creating two more goals for Los Blancos and he could win his second La Liga title at the Bernabeu.
They’re four points clear of El Clasico rivals Barcelona, and if they beat Villarreal this evening, they will be crowned Champions of the Spanish top-flight for the 34th time.
There have been highs for Bale, of course – which included his brace at the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool in Kyiv – as he inspired them to a 3-1 victory by bagging a brace; the first goal being a spectacular overhead kick.
The goal came just moments after being introduced from the substitutes bench. There is no doubt that Bale is a special talent and it could be argued he has never been truly appreciated by the Real Madrid faithful for what he has achieved in the Spanish Capital.
However, it must be said, some of the off-field antics he has been involved in hasn’t helped his case at all.
The ‘Wales, golf, Madrid. In that order’ controversy…
In 2019, Bale was pictured posing with a flag, which read ‘Wales, golf, Madrid. In that order’ which ultimately caused outrage amongst the Spanish media and the supporters of Real Madrid.
It came in the aftermath of Wales’ victory over Hungary at the Cardiff City Stadium, which saw the Red Dragons qualify for the European Championships.
Wales manager Ryan Giggs defended Bale’s actions, as he posed with the flag.
“I don’t know if Gareth had anything to do with it,” he admitted, speaking to Sky Sports.
“It was a special night for Gareth. He put in a shift in what was his second game in three days. He had not been playing, so that’s down to his fitness and professionalism.”
However, in a poll conducted by Spanish publication Marca, it suggested that 75% of Real Madrid fans felt that Bale had shown a “lack of respect for the club and fans.”
The face-mask incident could spark the end for Bale at Real Madrid…
The face-mask incident further proves how fed-up he is in the Spanish capital, but the problem is, he was shown laughing about his actions.
The Welshman has shown flashes of brilliance during the seven-years he has spent in Madrid so far, but his off-field antics have sometimes overshadowed that.
He was once again the subject of scathing abuse from the Spanish media following the incident. Many have called Bale ‘immature’ and he doesn’t have any sort of future in Spain.
Spanish publication Marca put up the headline: ‘Does Bale plan to laugh in the stands until 2022?’
They also suggested that the Welshman has contributed nothing to their title charge and Zidane no longer orders him to warm up and it is clear that his future at Los Blancos cannot be ‘resuscitated’
Bale was also seen with a roll of medical tape, making a binoculars gesture, as the Welshman was once again left on the bench during Real Madrid’s 2-1 away victory at Granada on Tuesday evening, with Marca coming up with the headline: ‘The Bale show continues at Granada’.
Last summer, Bale was also pictured playing golf, instead of playing against former club in a pre-season match, in Germany. He didn’t travel with the squad, because he reportedly ‘wasn’t fit’ to play.
When asked about Bale’s actions, Madrid manager Zidane failed to comment on the matter.
“You are telling me something that has surely happened,” he said.
“I’m here with my players, and I’m not going to comment on that. I hope he trained there. We are here, thinking about the team.”
The incident came in the aftermath of Bale’s move to China being blocked, and the Welshman was reportedly not happy with the way the situation was handled by Los Blancos.
Surely though, this is one of the last times we will see Bale in the Spanish Capital. His relationship with Zidane is frail, to say the least, and his antics are tarnishing his legacy, as being one of the greatest Welsh players of all time.
His seven years at the La Liga outfit could be over soon, to end his Real Madrid nightmare, but leaving on a sour note could put a damper on all of the success he has achieved in Spain.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
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