Real Madrid fans stunned the football world when they decided to give Gareth Bale a resounding send-off despite the differences that existed between him and them in the last three seasons of his career.
When Gareth Bale left Tottenham Hotspur for Real Madrid on September 1, 2013, for a then transfer record fee worth €101 million, he was one of the delights at the club.
A few years into the Welshman’s career at Real Madrid, he started suffering different degrees of injuries which subsequently led to his drop in form. The fact that Gareth Bale was earning around £600,000 per week at Madrid without playing regularly became a thing of concern for Real Madrid fans.
Amid his drop in form, Bale picked interest in playing golf more regularly which infuriated the fans and they began to boo him whenever he had a bad game. Bale infuriated them the more when he and his national teammates raised a banner with a description that reads: “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order”.
Since then, there has not been peace between him and the Real Madrid fans. The last time Bale managed to play for Real Madrid in the 2021-2022 season was in April. He played as a substitute in Madrid’s 2-0 league win over Getafe. After the game, Real Madrid fans began to boo him and he replied with a sarcastic smile.
Real Madrid fans have forgiven Gareth Bale
After Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 to win the 2022 UEFA Champions League campaign, the club took to the streets of Madrid to celebrate their triumph.
They ended the victory parade at the Bernabeu in the presence of thousands of Real Madrid fans. During the celebration, the fans began to chant Bale’s name with applause since they knew that was his last season at the club.
Bale returned the favor by going close to the stands to appreciate the fans who were joyous to have him move closer to them.
The Bernabeu applauds and chants “BALE”
— 🃏 (@LosBlancoEhsan) May 30, 2022
Brought a tear to my eye 🥹 pic.twitter.com/dfahVoggyF
Gareth Bale’s stats at Real Madrid
Gareth Bale who joined Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 played 258 times in all competitions in which he scored 106 goals and provided 67 assists for the Spanish giants.
In his last season as a Real Madrid player, Bale managed to make just seven appearances in all competitions in which he scored a goal due to fitness issues and a drop in form. He played just 7 minutes in 2 matches in the 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League campaign which was enough to earn him his 5th Champions League title.
In terms of titles, Gareth Bale helped Real Madrid to win four FIFA Club World Cups, five UEFA Champions League, three La Liga titles, one league cup, three Spanish Super Cup, and three UEFA Super Cups.
Note that from July 1, 2022, Gareth Bale who is currently 32-year-old will be without a club.
Wales appreciates Real Madrid fans
Ahead of Wales Nations League match against Poland on June 1, 2022, the manager of Wales, Robert Page described the decision of Real Madrid fans to give Gareth Bale a decent send-off as “class”.
“They [Real fans] showed class and rightly so for what he’s achieved for that football club,” the coach said.
“You look back to what he’s done, scoring winners in Champions League finals and in the manner in which he’s done it, he deserves all the plaudits, absolutely.
“What an achievement for him personally. To be a part of that group of people, that team that’s achieved that is phenomenal. Not many players can say they’ve done that, so credit to him for that.”
