Bale, from pardon to exile

A year can be a world in football, where according to circumstances the past weighs as much as a feather. For Gareth Bale, a storm threatened in July 2019, the sun seemed to rise in August and the outlook was clouding then until the downpour in which he settled months ago, outside even the calls. Madrid is crazy for selling him and he for complicating it: with a contract until 2022, he will not forgive a pound.

The film is another from last August 17 to the present. His departure from the club, which he arrived in 2013 for 101 million euros, the most expensive player ever, was scheduled for the summer of 2019. The matter heated up during the preseason tour and Zidane opened the door for him at the press conference after the defeat (3-1) in the friendly against Bayern. Asked the French about the future of the Welshman, he fled from the clichés and commented on how the case was: “I think the club is trying to get out and that's why they haven't played. I don't know if in 24 or 48 hours, but the situation is going to change and that's good for everyone. If it's tomorrow, better. I hope it is imminent for everyone, for him too. “

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Those words put Bale very close to the Chinese Jiangsu Suning, perhaps even closer than the actual negotiation. Because in the conversations there was a definite setback, the will of Madrid to pocket a few million for the goodbye of Cardiff, and the '11' had to stay. The relationship with Zidane was broken and it was up to both of them to do their part to rebuild it. As a first act of good faith, the coach took advantage of Hazard's injury to start the league by offering him his hand.

Bale, from starter to play 27.27% of the minutes of 2019-20

Bale rescued some status starter in the first five games of the season in which he was available, four league and one Champions League. The only one who got lost was because he was expelled from La Cerámica, one night when he a double to get a tie at two (his next and last target was on January 22, at Unionistas). Before had given an assist in Balaídos, on the first day. The accumulation of those good indications, in fact, generated some optimism regarding a possible recovery for the cause.

But against Osasuna he did not enter the list, theoretically by rotation, and He repeated his absence against Brujas. That made Bale very angry, mainly because Zidane argued that he had physical problems. With the heat he even considered leaving, as Madrid later do without him in January, although in the offices they were very aware that due to his very high salary and his medical history it was more a wish than an option.

The reconciliation had failed and Bale changed from potential solution to obvious problem. Between controversies, technical decisions and injuries, in Champions he played only 36 minutes until the end of the season, asking not to be cited for the Etihad because he did not want to move to avoid playing; in League, 747; in Cup, 53; and to the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah he did not even travel due to a commented infection. Total, Bale has had 27.27% of the possible minutes this course. The 1,260 minutes in which he has intervened is the lowest record since his landing, a figure that makes his marginal place very clear in the template now. From star to irrelevant and, in a year, from pardoned to banished.