The preseason will begin for Bale with a bad drink and a candy. First, at the end of August, you will have to report to Valdebebas, where Zidane would prefer not to see him because it does not have it. But then you can play again, with Wales in the League of Nations. Ryan Giggs' selection makes its way into League B on September 3 and 6, against Finland, away, and against Bulgaria, at home. They will be two great opportunities for Bale, who is both uncomfortable with his routine in Madrid and enjoys the breaks with his country. He has not played a white match since June 24, against Mallorca, so its presence in Finland will mean its reappearance after 71 days.
Wales has always been an environment of joy for Bale and, as things got more complicated for him at the Bernabéu, of liberation. There, captain since 2018, he maintains his great poster, that of the star who led Los Dragones Rojos to the semifinals in their first European Championship, in 2016. That is why the club is somewhat restless with the next international break, perhaps the most anticipated for a footballer who, jaded by his current role, asked Zidane not to go to Manchester for the decisive round of 16 of the Champions League.
Madrid fear that some of the usual episodes will be repeated when Cardiff travels with your selection. They have never liked his statements outside (“I would not say that I am playing happy in Madrid, but I am playing …”, “Winning a title with your country is a little more special” …). Nor that he has prioritized on more than one occasion force with his compatriots while reserving with the team for his recurring annoyances. His most irritating act was last November, when he posed with a banner with the slogan “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In this order” in celebration of the pass to Euro 2020. With Wales on the horizon, Madrid now see another potential problem with Bale.