Former Welsh international and manager, John Toshack has criticized his compatriot Gareth Bale over his lack of assimilation in Spain saying the player should have engaged himself with Spain and the supporters of Real Madrid during his six years at the Spanish capital.
Gareth Bale was on the verge of securing a multi-million dollar deal to China that could have seen him earn around €1 Million per week but Real Madrid pulled the plug on the deal after President Florentino Perez demanded that the Chinese club pay a transfer fee. This decision has riled the former Tottenham winger, who joined Real Madrid in 2013 on a then world-record fee of £85m Euro and as a consequence, has pulled out of Real Madrid’s trip to Munich for a pre-season tournament where they would be facing his former club Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Turkish giant Fenerbahce.
While speaking on the BBC Radio 5 Live programme, the former Real Madrid and Wales manager John Toshack said that the criticism of Bale is justified and he should have “engaged himself” with Spain and the Real supporters during his six years at the club.
“Come out Gareth, do an interview, speak yourself,” said the 70-year-old. “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.”
Despite scoring three goals, plus a penalty in a shootout, in four Champions League finals for Real as they won the competition in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Welsh winger was often booed by at the Santiago Bernabeu
Last week, Real boss Zinedine Zidane said the 30-year-old was “no longer wanted at the club and his exit would be best for everyone”.
The 30-year-old winger is currently on a weekly age of €600,00 at Real Madrid with three years left on his current contract.
He has won four Champions Leagues, one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, three Uefa Super Cups and three Club World Cups.
