NEIL MOXLEY Ronnie ego leaves no room for Bale at Real
THE writing was on the wall from the first day in training.
Real Madrid’s starstudded squad were playing one-touch football with new boy Gareth Bale.
Amid rumours that his nose had been put out of joint by the size of Bale’s transfer fee, Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed his more expensive colleague to the Bernabeu with a nasty sliding tackle.
The significance was not lost on team-mates – you can hear their gasps and guffaws in the YouTube clip.
Later in that same session, Bale spins the ball through Ronaldo’s legs. The Welshman puts up both index fingers in a gesture that showed the score had evened itself out.
But nobody nutmegs Ronaldo – and the Portuguese superstar’s body language afterwards says it all.
And if you don’t draw that conclusion from watching the clip, the evidence this week that Bale continues to step on the toes of FIFA’s Ballon D’Or winner was there for all to see.
Bale has been branded “a ballhog” by the Spanish press. He stood accused after failing to pass to Karim Benzema during the recent defeat at Valencia.
Last week, Ronaldo uttered a nasty phrase about his team-mate after Bale ignored him against Espanyol – although had the roles been reversed the Portuguese would surely have taken a shot at goal.
Having watched Bale – indeed having seen him make his international debut for Wales in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago back in 2006 as a 16-yearold – there is absolutely no substance to him being in any way selfish.
When Bale was tearing his way past Maicon as Spurs played Inter Milan in 2010, he wasn’t doing it purely for himself. If you l ook carefully, particularly during his hat-trick in the San Siro, there wasn’t another Spurs player able to keep up.
Rumours have been circulating now for some time that Bale’s love affair with the Champions League holders is best players. I was angry at the time, but that was in the heat of the moment. He’s a valued team- mate who has already shown he has the ability to become a legend at the club after scoring in the Champions League and the Spanish Cup final.
“Madrid fans have been brilliant with me and I would urge them to show the same level of support for Gaz because he will prove he is worthy of them.”
Who knows the reason why Ronaldo appears incapable of sharing the limelight at the Bernabeu with Bale. Dare we suggest it may be a greeneyed monster?
Never mind the ball, it seems that the perfectly toned, perfectly presented plasticine man doesn’t want to share the same platform as his supposed friend. Well, we have news for Mr Ronaldo. If ‘Gaz’ is not wanted at the Bernabeu, he would be welcomed back into the Premier League with open arms. Bale is a magnificent athlete. Capable of turning games with a flash of brilliance that you would pay money to watch.