Gareth Bale’s acrimonious falling out with Real Madrid was a wound highly unlikely to heal, even the Welshman’s return to North London was never going to allow Spanish hearts to allow any fondness in.
Bale’s farewell from Madrid was marked with a churlish club statement, that inferred the 31-year-old was no more than a player who happened to be in the right place at the right time. A mere passenger. In fact, forget churlish, the wording is embarrassing given the impact the boy had on the game, let alone that particular club.
Sergio Reguilón, was thanked for his “commitment, professionalism and exemplary behaviour”, it doesn’t require much imagination to work out that the stark contrast was deliberate.
Agent Jonathan Barnett’s words – here in The Sun – quite frankly put the Spanish club in its place. It is impossible to imagine that this loan deal will ever result in Bale ever returning to the Bernabeu.