Published 16:43 IST, August 5th 2020
Gareth Bale reveals how 80,000 Real Madrid fans hammered away at his confidence
Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale has admitted that he felt low on confidence after being booed by his own supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has endured quite a rocky relationship with the Bernabeu faithful over the past few years. Bale's avid love for golf and failure to learn fluent Spanish has contributed to the star winger cutting an unpopular figure among the fans. However, the Welshman recently admitted that being booed by his own supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu led to a huge dent in his confidence as a player.
ALSO READ: Oh Mane, Mane: Liverpool Star Reflects On The Champions Of Everything & Ballon D'Or Dream
Gareth Bale speaks on being booed by Real Madrid fans
Gareth Bale's seven years at Real Madrid have been a huge success so far as the 31-year-old has won four UCL titles, two LaLigas, one Spanish Cup and one Spanish Super Cup with the European heavyweights. Despite his stellar goalscoring record and numerous big-game performances for the club, Bale has been whistled at and booed by Real Madrid supporters on a number of occasions. While speaking on the podcast, The Erik Anders Lang Show, Bale opened up on his fractured relationship with the fans which eventually led to a slump in his performances.
Bale said, "There's a lot of pressure when you play for Real Madrid and there have been times I've had 80,000 of my own supporters booing me for not playing well". The world's most expensive Welshman then revealed that it's not a nice feeling and it doesn't help with boosting a player's confidence. "Normally, you expect your fans to support you but at Real Madrid, they do the opposite. The booing and whistling make you feel worse as a player which lowers your confidence and then you play worse which upsets them even more."
Gareth Bale golf affinity: Gareth Bale transfer news
Bale has been nicknamed as 'The Golfer' by his teammates due to the amount of time he spends on the golf course. After Wales booked a spot for Euro 2020, Bale paraded a flag that read "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" upsetting a number of Real Madrid fans in the process. Earlier in May, Bale struck a golf pose during a photo session with his Real Madrid teammates, mocking those who criticised his hobby.
Bale's Real Madrid contract expires in the summer of 2022 and the star attacker has no plans of leaving the Spanish capital despite being discarded from Zinedine Zidane's plans. It is reported that not many clubs can afford a Gareth Bale transfer and match his staggering £350,000-a-week wages. Earlier this week, it was reported that Bale is planning to exact revenge on Real Madrid by simply pocketing his wages despite not being a part of Zidane's plans.
Image Credits - AP
Updated 16:43 IST, August 5th 2020