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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that one of Madrid's biggest Galacticos, Gareth Bale, will leave the club at the end of the season. The Welshman, who has won four Champions League titles with Los Blancos, is set to leave for free when his contract expires in June.
Real Madrid spent a whopping €101 million to sign Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013. The Wales international made an immediate impact, helping Real Madrid to the coveted La Decima and Copa del Rey in his debut campaign.
His solo goal against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final is widely hailed as one of the best-ever strikes in the tournament. Bale also scored two decisive goals in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2018, the first of which came from a spectacular overhead kick.
With Bale nearing the end of his contract in the Spanish capital, Ancelotti was asked to comment on the forward’s future. In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Real Betis clash on 20 May, the Italian mastermind gave a straightforward answer.
He said (via Mundo Deportivo):
“The contract ends and he will leave. It is not so important if he plays tomorrow. Bale is part of the history of this club. He will remain in the memory of all Madrid fans. He was important in the Décima, in Kyiv, in the Copa del Rey. He has written important pages in this club and we have to take that into account.”
Since his record-breaking move from Spurs in 2013, Bale has featured in 258 games for Real Madrid, recording 106 goals and 67 assists. Apart from winning four Champions Leagues, he has won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and 10 other trophies.
Gareth Bale has endured a tragic end to his Real Madrid career
Gareth Bale had the opportunity to emerge as Real Madrid’s undisputed star following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2018. Much to the Madridistas' disappointment, Bale failed to fill in for the Portuguese and was convincingly overshadowed by Karim Benzema.
Zinedine Zidane, who started Bale on the bench in two Champions League finals (2016-17, 2017-18), eventually returned in 2019, extinguishing Bale’s chance at redemption. The winger was loaned out to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, where he showed some flashes of his old menacing self.
Many expected Bale to fare better under his old coach Carlo Ancelotti, but that has not been the case this season. He's failed to win his coach’s confidence, making only seven appearances across competitions in 2021-22, scoring once.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man had all the qualities to become one of Los Blancos’ biggest legends. Sadly, injuries and tumultuous interpersonal relationships robbed him of this glorious opportunity.
Considering what he has done for the Whites, it is only fair if he gets a proper farewell. It'd be interesting to see if Carlo Ancelotti gives him the opportunity to do one lap in front of the Bernabeu crowd on Friday night.
