GARETH BALE’S POPULARITY in Spain appears to have sunk to an all-time low as he heads back to Real Madrid following international duty.
Not sighted in La Liga for well over a month, the winger made his second Wales start in four days as Ryan Giggs’ men secured Euro 2020 qualification with a 2-0 win over Hungary on Tuesday.
Bale’s timely return to fitness prompted suspicion in the Madrid press, and his actions after the game have attracted more scorn from a media that has routinely criticised him for spending too much time on the golf course.
In Cardiff, he was pictured celebrating with Wales team-mates behind a banner that read: “WALES. GOLF. MADRID… IN THAT ORDER”.
The banner is a reference to comments made by former Real Madrid player Pedja Mijatovic, who criticised Bale’s supposed priorities in his professional life.
Madrid newspaper Marca, said to have close links to the Real, did not take kindly to what has been perceived as a mocking gesture.
The front page of its Thursday edition featured 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
AS, also headquartered in the Spanish capital, depicted the four-time Champions League winner sinking a close-range putt alongside the headline: “BALE IS IN A HOLE”.
Meanwhile, online newspaper El Espanol captured the order of priorities supporters expect – “MADRID. MADRID. MADRID. IN THAT ORDER” – while columnist Tomas Roncero summed up what appears to lay ahead.
His comment piece in AS included a simple, ominous quote for Bale’s future: “Out, out, out.”
— Tomás Roncero (@As_TomasRoncero) November 21, 2019
In an interview with The Athletic, ex-Madrid president Ramon Calderon called Bale “childish” and claimed fans were “very angry” with the one-time €100 million signing.
