The long-standing feud between Zinedine Zidane and Gareth Bale appears to have boiled over with the Madrid manager saying it’s just a matter of time before the Welsh star leaves the club.
On Sunday, Zidane came out firing saying that the sooner Bale left the better and that it was essentially a formality that he would be leaving in the near future.
Speaking after his 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich on Real Madrid’s pre-season tour, Zidane said the following about the winger:
“He wasn’t called up because the club is dealing with his transfer elsewhere and that’s why he didn’t play. We’ll see what happens with him over the next few days”.
“I’m not going to start talking about that; we’ll see. If it’s all resolved tomorrow, then that would be even better. Let’s hope it can be resolved quickly for everyone’s sake – for him too. The club is negotiating with another club where he could end up playing and that’s the situation as things stand”
The response has been met with some fierce backlash, particularly from the player’s agent who labelled Zidane a ‘disgrace’.
Speaking to AFP Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett said that it was an insult to a player that has done so much for the club.
“Zidaneis a disgrace,” Barnett told AFP. “He shows no respect for a player that has done so much for Real Madrid.”
The agent was then asked if the player is on his way out of Real Madrid.
“We are working on it,” he said.
Long-time suiters Manchester United are reportedly not one of the interested parties with a move to China or Bayern Munich seemingly more likely for the forward who has been involved in 167 goals in 231 appearances for Los Blancos.
Bale had some brilliant moments in a Madrid shirt but few will argue that perhaps his most memorable was his audacious bicycle kick against Liverpool in the Champions League final.