GARETH BALE RECEIVED the first red card of his Real Madrid career against Las Palmas last night and while he has since apologised for the incident, he doesn’t feel he deserved to be sent off.
Bale felt he had been harshly treated and the incident cost the European champions in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home.
Bale kicked out at Jonathan Viera twice before finally pushing the Las Palmas midfielder to the ground early in the second-half with the scores level at 1-1.
“I don’t believe that it was deserving of a red card,” the Welshman told Real Madrid TV.
“I was shown the yellow for the foul, I was then pushed and I just pushed him back.
“I want to apologise to the team and the fans. I hope to learn from my mistake”.
Madrid looked set for a first home league defeat in a year as Las Palmas took advantage of Bale’s dismissal to lead 3-1 with just three minutes remaining through Viera and Kevin-Prince Boateng.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s double salvaged a draw that keeps Real just a point adrift of league leaders Barcelona with a game in hand.
Madrid vice-captain Marcelo said Bale is aware his moment of madness had badly let his team-mates down.
“I am not one to give him a clip round the ear, that is what I do to my children,” said the Brazilian.
“Bale is old enough to know if he has made a mistake or not.
“These things happen in football, but hopefully it doesn’t happen again between now and the end of the season.”
Bale has only just returned from an ankle injury and will undoubtedly be courting serious Irish attention when Martin O’Neill’s side play Wales in a World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium later this month.
