Football news - John Toshack savages Gareth Bale over Real Madrid antics
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ByEurosport
Updated 30/07/2019 at 10:18 GMT
Gareth Bale has been the subject of stinging criticism from former Wales manager John Toshack after the forward made himself unavailable for Real Madrid’s Audi Cup fixture with Tottenham.
Gareth Bale of Real Madrid
Image credit: Getty Images
Bale, 30, had been expected to leave the Bernabeu but a proposed move to Jiangsu Suning in China fell through after Real Madrid reversed their decision to sanction the move.
The Wales international is now expected to stay at the Liga club, with the forward reportedly unwilling to take the required pay cut to push through a move to another European club. Bale is reported to currently earn £600,000 a week.
The former Tottenham player then informed the club that he was “too distressed” to travel to Munich for the pre-season Audi Cup tournament featuring Bayern Munich, Spurs and Fenerbahçe, with the Liga club reporting that Bale had stayed behind in Madrid to work in the gym.
Bale’s behaviour led to a stinging rebuke from Toshack, with the 70-year-old sarcastically questioning how Bale could survive on £150,000 a week were he to take a pay cut.
“Terrible to have to take a pay cut to £150,000 a week - how can they manage with that?!" began Toshack.
"He’s got a family and a couple of children, how can you manage?! It saddens me - sickens and saddens me the way that this has gone.
And nothing comes out from Gareth. Nothing. Only his agent, this, that – sad, sad for the football I know and loved, it saddens and sickens me.
And Toshack, previously manager at the Bernabeu, also took exception to Bale's inability to learn Spanish.
"Come out Gareth, do an interview, speak yourself," the former Real Madrid manager told BBC Radio 5 Live.
You've been here six or seven years now. You don't speak the language. That's an insult to the people that you're working for.
"It's not gone down well at all here in Spain, and it saddens me.
"He's been important in Real Madrid. It's just a great pity that he hasn't engaged himself a little bit more with the country that he's living in, with the supporters that are there every week.
"Gareth, come on. Take a little bit of time out and learn the language."
Bale joined Real in 2013 for a then-record deal of £85m, and has enjoyed great success with the club, including four Champions League titles. However, his last four seasons with the club have been dogged by injury.
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