Few men have set the footballing world alight like Gareth Bale. He is unquestionably the greatest Welsh footballer to turn professional in the 21st century, and many would argue that only Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush, Mark Hughes or Gary Speed could rival him as the country’s greatest ever post-war export.
His journey, from Southampton’s humble yet excellent academy to a packed Santiago Bernabeu, is a very unique one, taking him all the way from the second tier of English football to glory in La Liga and the Champions League. For the most part, his Real Madrid career was one filled with joy and productivity, seeing him become part of a deadly front three along with Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, it was not to last, and the process of Bale falling out of favour seemingly happened overnight
The Numbers of Decline
The warning signs were there in the spring of 2017, with the April of that year sparking the first of two short-term absences totalling 77 days. His dreadful luck with calf injuries flared up again, in an echo of the longer absence he had suffered two years prior for a similar injury.
In November, a pulled hamstring was thrown on top of the existing calf issue, prolonging his absences further. Injuries aside, Bale’s crown would also slip further with the emergence of positional rival Vinicius Junior in 2018. The Brazilian teenager represented Real’s longer-term future, and quickly overtook Bale in the popularity stakes.
By the end of 2017/18, Bale had hit 21 goals across all competitions, with Real not losing a single game in which he had scored.
Sadly for Bale, 2018/19 was a different story. While his longest period of absence was just three weeks, five separate periods of absence – concerning his adductors, ankle and calf – proved too disruptive for him to continually reintegrate into the side.
Third Place, Third Rate
With Bale struggling for match fitness, on top of missing the Juventus-bound Ronaldo, Real endured their worst season under Zidane by a long distance.
Bowing out at the Champions League round of 16 was inexcusable for the reigning European champions, who are usually so focal in sports spread betting options for the right reasons. Additionally, a third-placed finish in La Liga could easily have been worse, but for a dominant start to 2019.
Given Ronaldo’s departure, Bale would naturally be the scapegoat along with Zidane himself. By the logic of Real’s fanbase, the man formerly known as the world’s most expensive player – made so by his transfer to Real in 2013 – should not have such issues in order to truly justify his value. Naturally, that feeling was borne more out of frustration than contempt, especially with his numbers also reflecting a personal decline.
While Real actually enjoyed a 100% record from Bale’s goalscoring games in 2018/19, he dropped to just 14 across all competitions, and only just scraped ten league goals. While that isn’t a drastic plummet, his return of just three goals in 2019/20 certainly was, and seemed to fully vindicate why he has increasingly fallen out of favour.
The Woeful Tale of Zidane and Bale
Many opinions will differ as to precisely when the relationship began to decline, but there are beliefs the rot may have set in as early as the 2016/17 campaign’s endgame, when he took on Barcelona clearly not match fit. Playing against doctor’s orders, Bale lasted 35 uncharacteristically pitiful minutes before leaving the theatre of conflict. However, it was time enough to see Real suffer as a whole, going down 3-2 to Barcelona on their own turf.
While it did not affect the destination of the league title, the period after the lost El Classico was a one fraught with tension, as evidenced by Zidane’s curt reply. In reality, the Frenchman was far more annoyed than he let on, and knew full well that such poor performances would become a repeat occurrence if Bale’s injury woes continued. Sadly, for Bale, Zidane was right on both counts.
Will Bale Enjoy a Better Relationship with Mourinho?
Despite the external bravado, most Spurs fans privately accept that the Bale they once knew and worshipped will not materialise week on week, as he especially did during his vintage 2012/13 campaign. Nonetheless, the set-piece magic is still very much there, and even the stubborn Jose Mourinho will respect Bale’s situation, even if that does not equate to Mourinho changing the setup especially for him.
With Bale now 31 years old, he is also likely to be wiser in knowing his limits, which can only sustain the positive nature of his anticipated relationship with Mourinho.
Of course, people are entitled to their reservations, especially as Bale is too seasoned to be coached differently. The world also knows how stubborn Mourinho can be. In turn, that poses the risk of a lightning-quick decline in his relationship with Bale, if a catalyst to such a ‘decline’ – fitness-related or otherwise – ever emerges.