I would have learned Spanish but preferred to seek privacy, says Bale

From a certain point of view, he is a Real Madrid legend, but Gareth Bale’s behaviour and performances at the end of the engagement have tarnished his reputation. He spoke to The Times about his time in Spain.

Gareth Bale arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 as a star for Tottenham in England. The Welsh winger proved to be a quick left-footed player in the Premier League, and was set to partner Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain.

From the outset, everything seemed excellent. In four of his first five seasons in the white ballet, Real won the Champions League, adding one La Liga and Spanish Cup championship. Bale was there for all of those successes as a member of the starting line-up.

“I wanted to play for Real Madrid, for their white jersey. And I really had some great moments. But also difficult times when I felt lonely. When everyone is on your back and the fans are booing and booing, it’s hard. Especially the first time,” Bale told The Times.

For a long time, the boos and discontent were no indication. Bale got on well with Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema fitted in well with the trident. Fans were probably annoyed by his cool demeanour and occasional lack of interest in the game.

“You sign at Galacticos and they expect you to be everywhere and do everything. But I was the opposite, I just wanted to play my football and then disappear back into my private life. But everything was always fine in the dressing room,” the Welsh football icon continued.

Yet Bale, despite his planned absenteeism and occasional sloppiness, really excelled in his first years. His star moment came in the 2017/18 Champions League final with Liverpool. A phenomenal scissor kick steered Real to a 3-1 win.

Another moment that fans of the white ballet will not easily forget is his embarrassment of Marc Bartra in the 2014 Copa del Rey final. He outsprinted the Barcelona defender at the byline and finished the action himself. Real won 2-1.

On the other hand, Bale made enemies at the end of the engagement when he unnecessarily provoked fans with frequent photos from golf courses. When he held up a flag with the slogan “Wales, golf, Madrid, in that order,” after Wales qualified for Euro 2020, it was basically the end.

“I would have learned Spanish, but I didn’t want to be bustling around and preferred to seek privacy. Maybe that’s why the fans attacked me for not giving it my all. I guess they didn’t understand me as a person,” Bale added.

Source: The Times