José Mourinho has no doubts that the best version of Gareth Bale will be available very soon: “Bale is coming. I can see it with my own eyes, but the data also shows it.” The Tottenham coach said on the eve of visiting Belgian Antwerp in the Europa League that “tomorrow we can see Gareth at a good level and hopefully he can fly.” The Portuguese took advantage of his defense of Bale to throw a veiled dart at Real Madrid: “He's working very hard. I think he's delighted with the level of organization we have at the club. He's probably not used to it.”, said the Portuguese, who recalled the three consecutive Champions League semi-finals he reached on the bench at the Bernabéu.
The Spurs coach valued the work the winger is doing. “Bale is going to play. We have not only the sensations, but the data that Bale is arriving. I can see with my eyes that he is arriving, but it is also corroborated with the data. scientists. It is working very, very well. He's improving a lot and I think tomorrow we can see Gareth at a good level and hopefully we see him fly because he's working so hard. “
Mourinho wanted to praise Bale's attitude and behavior in the dressing room since he returned to the London club: “He is an example for everyone. An important guy like him traveled to Burnley, stayed on the bench for 90 minutes, without playing any. His demeanor as a team man is incredible. His behavior at Tottenham is remarkable“.
The former coach of Real Madrid wanted to ponder Bale's passage through the white club and what he achieved, defending him from the criticism he received and taking advantage of it to claim once again what he himself achieved as a Madridista: “One thing is reputation, another thing is the facts. I would love to have his reputation and four Champions. I only have two. The facts with Gareth are that he made a difference at that club. It was a club that for years and years, for more than a decade, had not even reached a quarter-final of the Champions League and then took a great leap forward with three Champions semi-finals in a row, and when he arrived they won 4 in 5 years. For me, these are the facts. Reputation is not important to me. The facts are important. He made a huge difference at the club. I can only talk about him with us. And he with us is fascinating. “
Mourinho also indicated that you had to be patient with Bale in the first weeks to overcome the injury with which he arrived with another message included for Madrid: “Of course, he arrived injured. Of course, When you've been injured for so long, it takes a little time. We are giving you that time. He is working very hard. I think he's grateful for the level of organization we have at the club. Probably not used. But the way in which the coaching staff, the doctors, the physical preparation area work, we are providing the best conditions for their evolution. He was on the bench, he played a few minutes, he started, he was on the bench, he will start tomorrow and we will give him time. But I repeat again what I said before: it is better than a couple of weeks ago, it is coming. “