Real Madrid News: Gareth Bale says he's "not playing happy" with Los Blancos, claims he's being scapegoated by the club

Villarreal CF v Real Madrid CF - La Liga
Villarreal CF v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

What's the story?

Despite being back in the Real Madrid team under Zinedine Zidane, Gareth Bale has admitted that he is not "playing happy" with the club, following a summer of speculation surrounding his exit from the Spanish outfit.

In case you didn't know...

Bale appeared poised to leave the Santiago Bernabeu for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning in the summer transfer window after Zidane publicly declared that he was free to leave the club.

However, Real Madrid's board were believed to have blocked the exit in the last minute, and the 30-year-old has since ended up playing all of the club's three La Liga matches this season.

The forward, who is under contract with Los Blancos for another three years, has been constantly marginalised by the Real Madrid fans and Zidane, who is far from keen to see the former Spurs man staying at the club.

The Wales international has enjoyed a strong start to the new campaign, recently rescuing the Madrid giants from defeat by scoring a brace in an exciting 2-2 draw at Villarreal, proving that he could be a key player for the side this term.

The heart of the matter

Bale believes that he has been unfairly targeted throughout his stint at Real Madrid and admitted that he is not too happy after the turbulence over the summer.

In an interview with Sky Sports, he said,

"I understand I was made more of a scapegoat than most - I take it with a pinch of salt even though maybe it's not all fully fair.
"Towards the end of last season was difficult, there is no denying that, not just for me but for the team.
"I wouldn't say I'm playing happy, but I'm playing. When I'm playing I am professional and I am always giving all I can, whether that be for club or country.
"I'm sure there'll be plenty more turbulence, to be honest. I suppose it is something you will have to speak to Real Madrid about and it's between me and them, and we will have to come to some sort of conclusion."

What's next?

Bale is currently on international duty with Wales, who are scheduled to face Azerbaijan in a European Championship qualifier on tonight.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar