Bale considering retirement

Posted Saturday, June 05, 2021 by Marca.com

The Real Madrid forward could call it a day this summer

Bale playing golf MARCA

Gareth Bale's best days as a Real Madrid player came under Carlo Ancelotti, with the Italian getting the very best out of the Welshman in his first spell at the club.

Now that Ancelotti has returned, many tipped Bale to shine again, but he might not get the chance to play under him. Beyond his reluctance to wear the Real Madrid shirt again, Bale is considering shelving his football career once the European Championship has ended this summer.

It has been seen in recent years that Bale is at his happiest when playing for Wales. It had seemed as though the problem was with Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid, but his troubles at Tottenham under Jose Mourinho suggested that the issue was deeper-lying. Despite ending the season well, he struggled for most of the campaign and didn't feature all that much with Mourinho on the bench.

Zidane had looked to move Bale on on a number of occasions, but didn't get his wish until last summer when he was finally sent on loan to Spurs.

Despite what is often said of Bale, he is happy and settled in Madrid. In fact, while he was playing on loan in London, his family stayed put into Spanish capital.

Both Ancelotti and Bale have spoken about one another since the Italian's return to Valdebebas was confirmed, but although they have a lot of respect for each other, they may not work together again.

MARCA have been able to confirm that Bale has been thinking about hanging up his boots this summer and, unless something changes, he will announce as much after the European Championship has come to an end this summer.

He has another year to run on his contract with Real Madrid, but the club wouldn't stand in his way, as his departure would see them free up 22 million euros from their annual salary expenses.

Bale deciding to retire at just 31 would come as a surprise, but the decision would come after a number of years wherein it has clearly not been the player's priority, and he only seems to enjoy playing when he is on international duty.

The Welshman joined Real Madrid in 2013 for even more than the club had paid for Cristiano Ronaldo just a matter of years earlier. He formed part of the famous and feared BBC strike force alongside Cristiano and Karim Benzema.