Published 16:56 IST, July 20th 2020
Zidane reveals 'technical' reason behind leaving Gareth Bale out of final matchday squad
With Gareth Bale transfer rumours growing, Zidane recently revealed that Bale was dropped from Real Madrid's LaLiga matchday squad due to technical reasons.
Gareth Bale’s antics at Real Madrid have been making headlines for some time now. The Welsh winger was recently trolled online for failing to take part in team celebrations actively as Real Madrid were crowned LaLiga champions. While all the players were seen celebrating in a euphoric manner, Gareth Bale was captured being disinterested as his teammates celebrated their LaLiga victory. The Zidane Bale feud is not quite a well-kept secret, with the pair’s relationship having been strained for more than a year now. Zinedine Zidane has now revealed the reason behind not picking Gareth Bale in his last 2019-20 LaLiga matchday squad.
Leaving Gareth Bale out a technical decision: Zidane
Gareth Bale was left out of Real Madrid’s squad for their final LaLiga game of the season against Leganes. The champions of Spain drew 2-2 with Leganes, having already secured the LaLiga title. However, there was no place for the Welshman in the squad, with several seeing it as a sign that a Gareth Bale transfer may be on the cards. Speaking to AS, Zidane revealed the reason behind leaving James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale out of the squad.
Zidane said that while everyone knows the reason behind Rodriguez’s exclusion, the reason for Gareth Bale not making the squad of the LaLiga champions was simply a technical decision. This is not the first time that Zidane has left Gareth Bale out of the squad. The winger was also excluded at the start of the year by Zidane against Sevilla, despite being fully fit.
The latest exclusion of Bale by Zidane is just another in a series of events that have taken place as the Zidane-Bale feud has developed. Since the restart, the Zidane Bale feud has been evident, with the winger only featuring twice for the LaLiga champions. Last month, ESPN had reported that the relationship between Zidane and Bale has reached its nadir and is beyond repair. While the pair have publicly claimed that all is well between the two, it looks like the relationship is set to end with several rumours of the Gareth Bale transfer surfacing.
Real Madrid transfer news: Gareth Bale transfer roundup
Several outlets reporting on Real Madrid transfer news have suggested the different clubs Bale could be headed to. The most mentioned destination for the Gareth Bale transfer seems to be the Premier League, with the 31-year-old rumoured to be favouring a return to England. Clubs such as Manchester United and Newcastle United have been mentioned in the same breath. Reports covering Real Madrid transfer news and the Gareth Bale transfer have even suggested that Bale could return to Tottenham as well. Press reports covering the Gareth Bale transfer also suggest that Zidane’s recent decision to axe the player from the squad has put the clubs interested in the Welshman on red alert.
Image Courtesy: AP
Updated 16:56 IST, July 20th 2020