Bale’s been singled out at Real COLEMAN CAN’T UNDERSTAND HARSH TREATMENT
FORMER Wales boss Chris Coleman believes Gareth Bale is Britain’s finest footballing export, as once again his future at Real Madrid is in doubt.
Bale has been omitted from Madrid’s 22-man squad for their final La Liga game of the season against Leganes today.
But Coleman insists the 30-year-old forward would light up any Premier League side if his seven-year stay at the Bernabeu does end.
With his second La Liga title in the bag – to add to four Champions League medals – Bale’s lack of action in recent games, due to a supposed rift with boss Zinedine Zidane, has led to talk of an exit.
Bale has also been spotted larking about on the subs bench, at one stage pretending to be asleep in an apparent riposte to his manager using him sparingly.
Last summer, a move to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning, where he would have pocketed £1million a week, fell through at the 11th hour when Real demanded a transfer fee.
Now there is talk of the club ripping up the remaining two years of his £600,000-a-week contract, making the Wales ace a free agent.
The treatment of Bale leaves Coleman, who led Wales to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, perplexed.
“I can’t believe how he has been singled out and accused of this, that and the other,” said Coleman.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever worked with. He’s an absolutely magnificent player and easy to get on with. You have to be organised because he likes to know the game-plan. After that, he is dead easy.
“They paid £85m for him seven years ago. They have won four Champions Leagues in that time. They haven’t dominated the Champions League like that for a very long time. Anyone would have settled for that in the time he was there. He has won 11 or 12 trophies since he arrived and another La Liga title now.
“No one can say he hasn’t delivered. He’s had one or two down periods, but who doesn’t? People aren’t concentrating on what he has done for the club during his stay.
“Look at any player who has come out of the United Kingdom and played abroad and you will see that nobody has done what he has. Nobody has won what he has won, he has done a brilliant job for football in this country and for footballers over here showing what we can produce.”
If Bale’s time with Los Blancos does come to an end, Coleman believes there would be no shortage of interest. “I think he would come back to the Premier League, if he felt it was right,” added Coleman. He’s very family-orientated and, if that appeals to all of them, then maybe.
“He is capable of playing for any team in the Premier League. He’s only 30 and wouldn’t let anyone down because he is a great player.”
Bale’s relationship with Zidane (both left) frayed towards the end of the Frenchman’s first spell. His agent Jonathan Barnett tried to heal the rift, especially in the knowledge that club president Florentino Perez was a huge Bale fan.
He saw the former Spurs man as the Bernabeu superstar in the aftermath of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to
Juventus. But when Zidane returned as manager in March last year, Bale’s position was weakened – hence the proposed move to China.
The banner following a Wales game emblazoned with the words ‘Wales, Golf, Madrid (in that order)’ didn’t help.
But for current Wales boss Ryan Giggs, the criticism Bale has been receiving comes with the territory at one of the world’s biggest clubs.
“The criticism can be quite intense,” admitted Giggs.
“I was open to it at Manchester United and the two Ronaldos have had it at Real Madrid. Gareth Bale is going through it.
“With a high profile, you are always open to criticism.”