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July 22, 2019

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Zizou: Bale near Real exit

Forward Gareth Bale鈥檚 tenure with Real Madrid could come to an end in a matter of days after manager Zinedine Zidane said the club was working on offloading the Welsh international.

Bale, 30, has won four UEFA Champions League titles since joining Real from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then world-record 100 million euros (US$112.20 million) but struggled to hold down his place in the starting side last season.

Amid suggestions that competition will only increase next season after the arrival of Belgian Eden Hazard, Bale was left out of Saturday鈥檚 1-3 defeat by Bayern Munich in a preseason clash in Houston.

鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 included in the squad because the club is working on his departure... that鈥檚 why he didn鈥檛 play,鈥 Zidane told a news conference. 鈥淲e鈥檒l have to see if it goes through tomorrow, if it does then all the better. Let鈥檚 hope, for everyone鈥檚 sake, that it happens soon.鈥

Zidane鈥檚 comments drew a stinging reply from Bale鈥檚 agent Jonathan Barnett, who labelled the Frenchman 鈥渁 disgrace.鈥

鈥淶idane is a disgrace to speak like that about someone who has done so much for Real,鈥 Barnett was quoted as saying.

鈥淚f and when Gareth goes it will be because it is in the best interest of Gareth and nothing to do with Zidane pushing.鈥

Bale was criticized by the Spanish media last season after failing to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo鈥檚 departure to Juventus as Real came third in La Liga last season, 19 points behind champion Barcelona.

Zidane, however, said there was nothing personal in his decision to dump Bale. 鈥淭here comes a time when things are done because they need to be done. I鈥檝e not got anything against him.鈥


 

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