Tensions between Real Madrid’s fan-base and Gareth Bale have always been rocky. But in recent weeks, they have nearly come to a breaking point. Real Madrid fans need to get off Bale’s case, lest they risk losing him forever.
You never know what you’ve got ’til its gone, they say. Such will be the case if Real Madrid’s impatient, fickle fan base drives off one of their best players.
Gareth Bale came to Real Madrid with sky-high expectations. The Welsh Dragon lit up England with his pace and athleticism, and many thought that he could be the eventual heir to Cristiano Ronaldo’s throne at Real Madrid.
And for a while, it looked like that was beginning to be the case. Bale won the Copa del Rey and the Champions League his first season at Real Madrid, scoring goals in each of those finals. Then, we began to see Bale’s first dip in form the next season, for which he was widely criticized.
In 2015-2016, Gareth Bale started to come into his own at Real Madrid. Bale was becoming more lethal in the box, and was transforming into a roaming attacking destroyer who could hit you from anywhere on the pitch. And, it looked like he was going to surpass Ronaldo for title of Real Madrid’s best player. His statistics were beginning to show his waxing influence on the team relative to Ronaldo. Even the American news magazine Newsweek, not known for its La Liga coverage, reported that Bale was beginning to take the mantle from Ronaldo.
The spring of 2016 saw Bale miss an extended period of time through injury. While he had experienced some niggling muscle problems in the fall of 2015 which saw him miss 11 and 17 days respectively, from January through March of 2016, Bale missed 45 days, or eight matches (all from TransferMrkt).
It took him a while to get warmed up, but once he got going, Bale looked like he recovered well from injury. He scored five times in five games, including the goal which would seal the deal against Manchester City in the semifinals of the Champions League. That year, Bale won his second Champions League trophy with Real Madrid. The world was his oyster.
But 2016-2017 decided it had other plans in store for Bale. The muscle issues that we thought Bale shook off in Spring 2016 came back with a vengeance. Bale was injured basically the entire time from November to February and April to June. He tried rushing himself back from injury in April, and had to be subbed off against Barcelona in El Clásico.
At this point, Bale’s reputation with a good chunk of Real Madrid fans was in tatters. Some members of the media have suggested that Bale’s time has been “more Kaka than Ronaldo.” He’s been called a hack, a has-been, a never-was, a fraud, and much worse. And these are fans we’re talking about here, people who are supposed to be supporting this player.
Bale has had a long, hard road to recovery from his injury. He’s been pretty open about this process with the press. He has had to rely on painkillers in order to rush back his injuries. And when you’re a player like Bale who relies on your pace, athleticism, and explosive movement, even small injury issues can have a huge effect on your form.
Finally, though, it looks like some of Bale’s hard recovery work is starting to come good. Despite what you may hear on Real Madrid Twitter, Gareth Bale started the season relatively well. He registered a goal and an assist in the opening match against Depor, an assist against APOEL, and a goal against Real Sociedad. It’s true that Bale missed a number of key headers against Levante, but he was still one of Madrid’s most active players in that draw.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid’s “fans” continue to boo Gareth Bale. The Bernabéu can be a notoriously harsh place. Heck, even Cristiano Ronaldo has gotten booed by the ever impatient fans of the Royal Whites.
But the hate delivered Bale’s way has gotten unreasonable. Bale had his fingerprints all over every single goal that Real Madrid scored in the Champions League opener against APOEL, and he still got booed. Then, Bale went to a promotional event, and was jeered by a section of those in attendance for not speaking Spanish.
How is Bale ever supposed to get his confidence back if he’s getting booed and whistled when he’s putting in goals and assists left and right? This section of Real Madrid fans, the ones who are constantly saying that Bale isn’t good enough, the fickle lot who ignore all Bale has done for this club, do not deserve to call themselves fans of this great team.
Big win at a tricky ground ⚽👌🏼😛 pic.twitter.com/EoFNSjr3Xn
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) September 17, 2017
These so-called “fans” do not have the clubs best interest in heart. These so-called “fans” are not interested in actually helping this team succeed. These so-called “fans” are more interested in hot-takes and armchair insults than they are supporting our club.
Reports suggest that Bale told Luka Modric, his friend and confidant, that he is plotting an eventual exit from Real Madrid. And, apparently Modric has advised him that moving away from the jeers and whistles at Madrid might be the best for his career. This is the same Luka Modric that warned James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata that any move away from Madrid would be a huge step down.
If the climate at Madrid has gotten so hostile that Bale and his closest friends feel that he has to leave the club in order to avoid the torment and the abuse, then the actions of these so-called “fans” have gone from mere annoyances to open hostilities against the club and its interests.
The loud, crude, and incredibly annoying section of Real Madrid fans who have openly bashed Gareth Bale during his injury recovery period should honestly be ashamed of themselves.
If Real Madrid were to let Bale go, they would be making a huge mistake. If Bale leaves Real Madrid, these so-called “fans” will be to blame. When he goes on to excel for another club, that section of Real Madrid’s fan base that supported him all along will know that their fellow fans played their part in driving a potential star away from the club.
I’m not going to have the argument for why Bale is good, because to my mind, Bale’s quality is simply not a matter for debate. Bale is a team leader, an underrated playmaker, has world-class pace, a constantly evolving skill-set, has high footballing intelligence and makes Real Madrid better defensively. He has now won three Champions Leagues, one La Liga, and the Copa Del Rey.
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No player is bigger than the club. And no player is above criticism. But when a player has done for this club what Gareth Bale has done, it is an insult to the player AND the club to abandon him while he’s trying to get his from back after injury.
This is a call for Real Madrid fans to do better. Be better. Stop embarrassing yourselves, and start actually supporting this club. So for those at the Bernabéu who still want to boo Gareth Bale, know you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. For those who want to tweet that Bale doesn’t have what it takes, you should delete all 140 characters and try again.
Gareth Bale needs our support. If the beginning of this season is any indication, Bale is on the verge of another career defining season.
If you’re a Real Madrid fan, it’s time to decide: are you going to be a part of Bale’s success at this club, or are you going to stand in the way?
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