Saturday Star

Casemiro: I’m a defender of Bale

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REAL Madrid midfielder Casemiro says people need to appreciate his teammate Gareth Bale more and stop focusing on what he does away from the pitch.

Bale has scored his share of decisive goals in the most important games for Real but the Spanish media constantly accuse the Wales forward of lacking commitment to the cause.

“I’m a defender of Bale, he’s an incredible player,” Brazil internatio­nal Casemiro told radio station Onda Cero yesterday.

“People only talk about the bad things he does off the pitch, but they don’t talk about what he does well, like the goals he scored in finals that won us trophies.”

Chief among the media’s complaints is Bale’s love of golf which was manifested in a banner he danced in front of with his Wales teammates reading ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid in that order’.

He is also criticised by the media and supporters for leaving matches early when he is injured in order to beat the traffic.

But Casemiro prefers to focus on Bale’s incredible feats, such as his breathtaki­ng goal against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final and his decisive strikes against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool in the 2014 and 2018 Champions League finals.

“If he thinks it’s okay to do these things then we should respect that,” added the Brazilian.

“I don’t care what he does off the pitch, when I think of Bale I think about what he does on the pitch and for me in that respect he is one of the best around.” | Reuters

 ?? | Reuters ?? GARETH Bale celebrates his goal against Levante during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, 2015.
| Reuters GARETH Bale celebrates his goal against Levante during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, 2015.

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