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MADRID (Reuters) – As Gareth Bale prepares to return to Tottenham Hotspur after seven trophy-laden years at Real Madrid, there is an overwhelming sense of disappointment rather than gratitude for his legacy in the Spanish capital.
Bale scored vital goals in the Champions League finals against Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool, as well as a career-defining winner of the Copa del Rey final against eternal rival Barcelona, with 105 goals and 68 assists in 251 games.
But as his departure nears, the media and fans are focusing on his dazzling 30 million euros ($ 35.39 million) a year salary, his injury history plus an apparent wavering attitude rather than his often brilliant performances on the field.
‘Bale cost Madrid 23,800 euros per minute,’ read the headline of a report in Spanish sports daily AS on Thursday, adding: ‘Gareth Bale cost 101 million euros and has left a small collection of key goals, a long medical history and more – Sports controversies that Real Madrid would have liked.
Common themes among Bale’s critics is that he did not show the same commitment to the club as he did to Wales and that he did not aspire to be the team leader after Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2018.
A naturally shy character who rarely gave interviews or spoke Spanish in public, Bale never ingratiated himself with Madrid supporters, who have idolized such figures as Juanito and current captain Sergio Ramos.
In a somewhat absurd interpretation of the facts, Bale’s fondness for playing golf in his spare time was taken as a sign that he was not 100% committed to playing football, while he was also often blamed for his frequent injuries.
Bale didn’t always help himself though, from dancing with a fan banner celebrating his love for Wales and golf in Madrid last year, to looking bored and lethargic as he sat on the substitute bench for matches. end of last season.
Refuse to travel
The lowest point came in August when manager Zinedine Zidane said Bale had refused to travel with the team to the Champions League knockout match at Manchester City.
“We never knew what was going through his head and I would have loved to hear him say from the bottom of his heart that he wanted to fight for Real Madrid,” said Spanish radio expert Álvaro Benito.
“But everything he transmitted did not suggest that he was really committed or made us hope that he could lead the team when Cristiano left.
“Bale had numerous opportunities to be the player we all think he could be due to his ability. He has been decisive in key moments, which is not easy, but it is a sad situation because we all expected more.”
The feeling of disappointment in Bale can be difficult to understand outside of Spain given the goals he scored and the 13 trophies he helped win, including four Champions League, two La Liga and a Copa del Rey.
But perhaps that is understandable given the exceptionally high standards at Real.
Despite his quality, Bale rarely had the chance to be remembered as a hero in a club used to seeing the best players in history, from the greats of the past Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas to the modern greats Zidane, Raúl. and Cristiano Ronaldo.
($ 1 = 0.8477 euros)
(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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