Gareth Bale turns his back on Real Madrid

The Welshman was left out of the squad due to discomfort in his back

Posted Saturday, April 30, 2022 by Marca.com

On the eve of a momentous day for Real Madrid, Gareth Bale took centre stage once more. Not because of what he can bring to the table, but because of his absence.

The Welshman had to withdraw from the Real Madrid squad at the last minute owing to back pain, which caught the coaching staff off guard.

Bale had worked hard in the weeks leading up to the match against Espanyol, but in the end, he complained of back pain and was forced to withdraw from. Carlo Ancelotti, the coaching staff, and the medical staff did not go insane.

He's off the list, end of story. The club know what lies ahead for him, the dressing room are indifferent.

Bale could have played a few minutes against Espanyol if he wanted to. With one eye on Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester City, Ancelotti is willing to distribute minutes among his attackers and give breaks to the regulars, and the Welshman appeared as one of the attacking options.

It appears that neither Karim Benzema nor Vinicius Junior will play the whole 90 minutes, therefore Mariano Diaz or Bale were the best bets to end the game as LaLiga Santander champions. Bale, though, took a step back. Again.

This isn't the first strange absence of Bale. The Welshman was dropped from the squad the morning of the Clasico on March 20 owing to back discomfort, but he was back in training with his teammates the next day.

The footballer failed to appear at the stadium, unlike the rest of the injured players. We'll have to wait and see what Bale's reaction is to the festivities.

Will Bale get on the bus for celebrations?

Away from the game, the question now is whether Bale will join his teammates' celebrations after winning the title.

There will be a trophy on the pitch and a trip to Cibeles in the open-top bus, celebrations that the player has never enjoyed and might avoid this time. He is not pleased with the supporters because of the recent whistling of him.

In recent months, Ancelotti has attempted to win him back for the cause, but it has proven impossible. Bale has had his mind outside the club for a long time, for years.

"Gareth deserves to leave Real Madrid on a good note, because he has been a very important player in the club's history," assured Ancelotti at a press conference.

Bale, on the other hand, has not taken up the challenge. He also believes Ancelotti has treated him unfairly because he has not provided him with all of the opportunity he deserves.

Little participation

Bale has only played 270 minutes in seven games this season. The 32-year old, who was already missing from Madrid's first trophy this season, has played five LaLiga Santander games and two Champions League games.

Bale was forced to withdraw from the Supercopa de Espana owing to a cold, which caused considerable concern among the coaching staff.

Bale appeared to be tuned in only against Villarreal. He started the game that day, with Benzema sidelined and the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain approaching. And he did so admirably, as Real Madrid's most dangerous player.

Ancelotti, on the other hand, did not offer him many more chances, and the player has not played since.

One conflict after another

Bale has not performed well for Real Madrid since scoring two goals in the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv.

He had a falling out with Zinedine Zidane, about whom his agent spoke poorly, and left photographs that the club did not approve of, such as the 'Wales. Golf. Madrid' banner, and he did a number of things that his colleagues didn't approve of, such as departing the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu before the games were over.

All of these incidents have created a significant divide between Bale and Madrid fans, who will remember him for his first four seasons and lament the four additional years he spent with the club.