During the most recent international break Wales manager Rob Page revealed his anger at Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson after he was ruled out of international duty due to playing through an injury for his club side.
Johnson it seems, hadn’t quite gotten the memo, pacey Welsh wingers with an eye for goal are supposed to prioritise Wales, Golf and their club side, in that order as former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale famously did.
The 33-year-old Cardiff born superstar’s early performances in the Spanish capital saw him feature highly in the Ballon d’Or betting odds. Yet when he finally bid farewell to Los Blancos in 2022, news of his departure was greeted with glee by Madridistas.
How did a man who scored three goals in Champions League finals go from hero to zero during his time at Real Madrid? Read on to find out.
(Having a bad day? Cheer yourself up by watching this.)
The Ryan Giggs Phenomenon
In the weeks preceding Ryan Giggs appointment as Wales manager in 2018 #AnyoneButGiggs was trending on Twitter and one newspaper postulated that the moniker ‘Public Enemy Number One’ would be well suited to the former Manchester United man.
To fans of other nations, the Welsh fans antipathy toward one of the greatest players of the Premier League era might have seemed strange. Surely someone as talented as Giggs should have been celebrated by his fellow countrymen?
Under normal circumstances yes, but Welsh fans never warmed to Giggs due to his perceived lack of commitment to his nation. The 49-year-old made his debut for his country in Germany back in 1991 and only played in his first friendly for Wales in March of 2000.
In an international career spanning 16 years, Giggs only made 64 appearances for his country and, like it or not, was seen as the poster boy for a perceived apathy amongst players toward representing Wales in the late 1990s and much of the 2000s.
(Ryan Giggs highlights reel for Wales should constitute of way more than just 12 goals)
When Giggs finally retired from international football in 2007 there was no outpouring of grief from Welsh fans, in fact many fans were happy to see the back of him. How, you might be asking, is any of this relevant to Real Madrid and Gareth Bale?
Well, Gareth Bale’s story is the same as Ryan Giggs but just in reverse. Real Madrid fans were repeatedly made to watch their player excel on the international stage and then spend his time on the Madrid bench watching golf on his phone.
Yes there were goals in Champions League finals and that stunning run in the Copa del Rey, but Ryan Giggs had his moments for Wales too. Ultimately it’s not moments that define a players legacy but their overall attitude.
Whilst Bale’s commitment to the Welsh cause and his attitude for his country were never in question, the same couldn’t be said for his club side.
Gareth Bale’s Madrid Faux Pas’
During his time with Real Madrid Gareth Bale won 3 league titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 5 Champions Leagues, so why did fans grow to despise him? Here are just a few things that the Welsh wizard did to draw the ire of his club’s fanbase:
Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order
During his time at Real Madrid Gareth Bale was the third highest paid footballer in Europe. Yet when Wales secured qualification for Euro 2020 against Hungary, the Madrid player posed for pictures with a Welsh flag that featured those infamous words above.
Imagine if Ryan Giggs had posed in front of a banner saying ‘United. Golf. Wales. In that order’ after winning the 2003 FA Cup against Millwall…
Bench Snoozing
After posing with that flag, the hatred of Bale in Madrid reached new levels but the Welshman did little to help himself during that period. Finding himself on the bench for the fourth week in a row in 2020, Bale pulled his facemask over his eyes and had a little snooze.
Golf
Repeatedly during his time in Madrid, Bale was criticised for playing golf when he should have been training or recovering from injuries. In 2020 that argument really came to the fore when Bale requested not be involved in his teams Champions League Round of 16 tie with Manchester United.
With his teammates finishing off their pre-match rituals ahead of the game, Bale was pictured by El Chringuito de Jugones playing golf. Needless to say, those images did not go down well in Madrid.
In Summary
In much the same way that Ryan Giggs will forever be viewed as a legend by Manchester
United fans and a waste of talent by Welsh fans, Gareth Bale will be viewed the opposite way by Wales and Real Madrid fans.
Their loss however, was very much our gain as Gareth Bale helped propel us to heights we could never have previously imagined.
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