Here is an article that I wrote that was published in the Late Tackle Magazine (Sep/Oct 2022. Issue 82)
An infamous banner held by Gareth Bale and his Welsh teammates, after securing qualification for Euro 2020 said a lot about Bale’s feelings and emotions towards the European Giants.
When he arrived in the Spanish capital, it looked destined for Bale to share the spotlight with Cristiano Ronaldo, making Real a modern-day superpower.
The Welshman had it all, pace, strength, and the finishing ability to mimic that of Ronaldo from the opposition side and he could strike fear into any defender across Europe.
Real Madrid have been able to become that European Supergiant with Bale being a part of the success, but many Madridistas would have expected more from Bale during his time at the club.
Now at just 33, Bale has moved to the MLS where he plays for Los Angeles FC. So the question for many has been, what happened to the Welsh megastar in Spain?
New Life In Madrid
In the 2013 Summer window, Real Madrid completed a world-record transfer for the Winger with a fee of £85 million, making him a modern-day Galactico.
With high expectations from the get-go. His first season was disrupted by injuries, limiting his game time, but when he was deployed out wide, he showcased his World Class ability.
Many people began to question what Bale offered after a slight dip in form, but his critics were silenced after he scored an iconic goal in the Copa Del Rey Final against fierce foes, Barcelona. Then, weeks later he scored yet another significant goal in the Champions League Final against city rivals, Atletico Madrid, ending Real’s 12-year wait for the Champions League to return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, with the hefty price tag, many Madrid fans still questioned his worth at Los Blancos.
Managerial Mayhem
In the 2014/15 season, Real Madrid and Bale couldn’t match the heights of the previous season, despite Bale keeping fit. At the end of that campaign, Rafael Benitez was named manager.
Bale was a key player under Benitez, but with results not being up to standard, Benitez was relieved from his position, and in came Zinedine Zidane.
In his opening game under the new manager, Bale scored a hat trick but he picked up an injury just weeks under new manager Zidane, which saw him miss a substantial remainder of the campaign.
When he returned, Bale had his game time limited, but this still didn’t stop him from being a key part in Real winning their eleventh Champions League.
After a proud 2016 Euros campaign with Wales, Bale went on to miss 29 matches in 2016/17 for Real Madrid with many injuries ruining his chances, and with Zidane being keen on Marco Asensio, it looked like it was the beginning of the end for the Welshman.
The following season, he was used as a rotation player, only playing a full 90 minutes ten times in all competitions for the club, as he made way for Isco and Asensio on a number of occasions.
However, this didn’t stop him from creating another iconic moment after being subbed on the hour mark in the Champions League Final against Liverpool, where he scored a fantastic overhead kick. He also added a second goal later in the match securing a 3-1 victory, and his third Champions League winners medal
Closing Curtain
Cristiano Ronaldo would leave in that summer for Juventus, and Bale was expected to become the main man for Real. However, this wasn’t the case as players like Lucas Vazquez and Asensio would still be favoured over Bale.
He became frustrated due to his lack of playing time, which saw him take up a position on the bench, despite averaging a goal every 120 minutes.
His playing time became less and less during his time under the French manager, and criticism came Bales’ way after stating he would stay if he was getting paid, and displaying the now famous banner against Hungary in a Euros qualifier.
After the drama, he was loaned back to his former club Tottenham Hotspur under Jose Mourinho. The start wasn’t perfect as he was injured or on the bench, but suddenly, we saw glimpses of his talent once again, getting 12 goals and 3 assists in just 18 games.
When he returned to the Spanish capital, Carlo Ancelotti was back in charge and Gareth might have expected things to be different.
He was able to win another Champions League, but with more injuries and Coronavirus keeping him out for extended periods, Bale only played 290 minutes in his final season for Los Blancos.
After his contract came to an end in Spain, he moved to America, where he now plays for Los Angeles FC.
Many have mixed opinions on Bale during his time at Real Madrid and how much he contributed to their success. There are multiple reasons why he couldn’t hit the heights which people expected, but there is no doubt, that Gareth Bale will go down as an all-time great.
Final Whistle 