Seeing The Future Of Gareth Bale After The WALES Flag Case. GOLF. MADRID'
JAKARTA - Gareth Bale's childish attitude when celebrating Wales' success in the Euro 2020 finals had a long tail. It all started when the Real Madrid winger unfurled a flag with the words' WALES. GOLF. MADRID ... IN THAT ORDER '.
Gareth Bale's popularity in Spain fell to rock bottom when he returned to Real Madrid after international duty. Unseen in La Liga for more than a month, Bale made his second appearance for Wales in four days when Ryan Giggs' men secured their Euro 2020 tickets with a 2-0 win over Hungary on Tuesday, 19 November.
Bale's performance again sparked suspicion. His actions after the match have drawn more derision from the Spanish media, which routinely criticize him for spending too much time on the golf course. In Cardiff, he was caught on camera celebrating with his Welsh teammate behind a flag reading: "WALES. GOLF. MADRID ... IN THE ORDER".
The slogan stems from chants by Welsh fans mocking the Spanish media's portrayal of Bale, who is accused of putting Madrid at the bottom of his priority list and spending too much time playing golf.
🏴 This is pure savage from Gareth Bale. After Wales qualified to the # Euro2020 last night, The Welsh squad brought out a flag with "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" written on it. Bale got the whole Madrid media on strings. Pure disrespect. 😱💀 pic.twitter.com/JQlCLUUGaz
- FutbolBible (@FutbolBible) November 20, 2019
The 30-year-old is close to joining Chinese club Jiangsu Suning ahead of the close of the summer transfer window and recently admitted he enjoys playing for the national team more than Madrid.
Madrid newspaper Marca, which has close ties to the club that hired Bale, disliked the player's actions which were taken as a sign of mocking. The front page of Thursday's edition also features Bale and the headline: "DISRESPECTFUL. WRONG. UNGRATEFUL. IN THAT ORDER"
#LaPortada 'Irrespetuoso. Desacertado. Desagradecido. En ese orden '🗞 pic.twitter.com/fWIel733R2
- MARCA (@marca) November 20, 2019
The US, which is also headquartered in the Spanish capital, describes the four-time Champions League winner with a headline: "BALE IS IN A HOLE". Meanwhile, the online newspaper El Espanol posted the priority order expected by supporters - "MADRID. MADRID. MADRID. IN THAT ORDER"
Columnist Tomas Roncero concludes what is likely to happen in the foreseeable future. His comments in the US included a simple and ominous quote for Bale's future that read: "Out, out, out."
pic.twitter.com/HmhNZzLenB
- Tomás Roncero (@As_TomasRoncero) November 21, 2019
This media message apparently crosses the border ahead of Madrid's meeting with Real Sociedad on Sunday. In an interview with The Athletic, former Madrid president Ramon Calderon called Bale "childish" and claimed fans were furious with the player who was signed from Tottenham Hotspur in September 2013 for a record £ 85.3 million.
Calderon went on to say that Bale's widely publicized celebration of Euro 2020 qualification would tarnish his relationship with Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. The Madrid president from July 2006 to January 2009 believes this event could cost Bale his place in Zidane's team in the Los Blancos match against Real Sociedad.
"It will be difficult for Bale at the moment, because he was very childish while posing behind the flag," Calderon told The Athletic.
"The fans are very angry because of course they don't like that, considering he has hardly played for the team this season but he is on international duty with Wales and has played two games," he continued.
Calderon then advised Bale to return to Tottenham, where Jose Mourinho is now in charge. For Bale, Calderon said, returning to where he came from should be ideal for everyone, because going to China would be a shame.
"Bale has at least three or four years left at the top level. Can he join Jose Mourinho at Tottenham? Why not? It depends on what Mourinho thinks of him, but I'm sure the fans at Tottenham have a very good memory of him at home. there."
Amid the attack on Gareth Bale, the player's agent Jonathan Barnett said the celebration of the Real Madrid star flag was meant for the media. Speaking to ESPN, Barnett insisted there were no worries ahead of the player's return to Madrid after serving with Wales.
Bale, who has not featured for Madrid since October, is scheduled to feature for Los Blancos' meeting against Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday. In all competitions this season, the 30-year-old has scored two goals in seven appearances.