After John charles, the Good Giant who formed trident with Sívori and Boniperti in the Juventus of late 50s, it is Gareth Bale the figure that emerges with more force in the wales football. Not even the career of Giggs, United legend and now national coach, can match his feats. If Charles took Wales to play the quarters of a World Cup, the one from 58, against the Brazil of a young Pelé (17), Bale put his country in the semifinals of the Euro 2016. Two milestones for a small nation of just over three million inhabitants where the rugby is, by far, the King sport.
John Charles commemorative stamp.
British Post Office (EFE)
ANDl soccer there gave a jump qualitative with the transfer from Bale to Real Madrid. Hearings and stadium attendance grew exponentially (FAW studies reveal 30%). And the Federation took advantage of it. Created a strategic plan around the footballer, a great investment that ranged from the lower categories to the first team. It worked. Welsh played in 2016 for the second time in its history the final phase of a great tournament and reached the semis. When Bale made his 17-year-old debut under Toshack, Wales ranked 68th in the FIFA rankings. Today is the 23.
That castle built is now about to fall. The debate there revolves around the need to keep trusting blindly in Bale if you don't have minutes in Madrid or the possibility of having them. The technician Giggs organized two days ago a very selected meeting with a bunch of British media and 80% of the conversation, to which this newspaper has had access, delved into that topic.
“It's something to I have gotten used to it“, argued Giggs to journalists. “I've always said that the ideal situation is that I want than my players play and enter the field with that match rhythm, but Gareth He has been in this situation for quite some timeGiggs even went so far as to admit the physical limitations of Bale for his propensity to injury. “Ok, I may sometimes be out of shape and not be able to do 90 minutes twice in a short space of time, which again is not ideal, But above all I must say it is a honor to work with him because he is a great professional and alwaysbequeath in the best shape“He defended him. But the debate is already underway. Bale in Madrid has a Complicated Eurocup.