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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has urged the club's fans to support all their players ahead of their Champions League clash against Chelsea on Tuesday. This came after Gareth Bale was jeered at the Santiago Bernabeu in their 2-0 win over Getafe on Saturday.
Ancelotti and midfielder Casemiro came out in support of the Welshman and stated that unity between the club and the fans is important.
Los Blancos hold a 3-1 lead in their Champions League quarter-final match against Chelsea. Speaking ahead of the game, Casemiro said (via Independent.ie):
“When you jeer a player, you are jeering all of us. I didn’t like it because Bale is a historic player for this club. He has scored a lot of important goals for this club. When you jeer a player like him, you are jeering the history of this club. I hope that the fans will support all of us and will get excited about the game tomorrow. We need their support.”
Meanwhile, after the match against Getafe, Ancelotti said:
“In a moment like this in the season, when we need every player, the unity between fans and the squad is a very important aspect. Bale is well, he has been practising and wants to play and help the team, that’s the most important thing.”
Real Madrid fans' treatment of Gareth Bale unfair?
Bale joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-world-record fee of over €100 million. Since then, he has played 258 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 106 goals and making 67 assists.
However, he has always had the irk of the Spanish media for his refusal to adapt to the Spanish lifestyle and learn the language. He has often been called names by prominent newspapers, even being called a "parasite" recently by a columnist.
A celebration of Wales' Euro 2020 qualification that saw him hold a fan-made flag that read "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order." didn't help either.
However, Bale has been an important member of Real Madrid's major success since joining and has scored some clutch goals for Los Blancos. His goal against Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey 2013-14 is a memorable one. He also scored a brace in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool, scoring a stunning overhead kick as well.
Hence, consistent abuse by the Spanish media can be deemed unfair towards a superstar of the game. Now that his contract gets over in the summer, it is likely that he will leave the Spanish capital. It will be interesting to see where he moves to next.
