While the bad relationship between Zidane and Gareth Bale was no longer a secret, now both of them have made it public, to the point that the French coach confessed that he wants the Welshman to leave as soon as possible. But, how and when did the 'divorce' between the coach and player occur? Although there have been several episodes that have contributed to the fracture, there is a particular chapter that can be attributed as the origin of it all.
According to the Spanish newspaper 'ABC', the terrible relationship between both started two years ago, during a classic match against Barcelona. It was on April 23, 2017. Real Madrid was playing LaLiga against Barcelona and was close to reaching another Champions League final. For that match, Bale, who had just recovered from another injury, assured Zidane that he was ready to start as a starter. The Frenchman decided to trust his player, but he got injured again and was substituted at the 27th minute of the first half. The result? Messi showed his shirt to the entire Bernabeu with a goal at the 93rd minute for the 3-2 victory.
Messi showed his shirt to the Bernabeu after giving Barcelona the victory in the last minute.
And even though Real Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League at the end of that 2016-17 season, that episode in the classic match was enough for Zidane to 'give up' on Gareth Bale. Therefore, for the 2017-18 season, Bale left his 'untouchable' role and spent most of the season on the bench, between injuries and Zidane's decisions. Not even his two goals against Liverpool in the Kiev final made 'Zizou' change his mind. And that 'confrontation' with the Welshman (Florentino Perez's favorite player) was one of the reasons that led to the French coach's resignation from the 'Casa Blanca' just one week after winning the third consecutive Champions League title.
Gareth Bale was substituted at the 27th minute of the first half. (Getty)
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