His time at Madrid appears to have run its course
In his last season at Tottenham, Gareth Bale seemed to be transforming into a left-footed Cristiano Ronaldo. He began to take free kicks with the 'knuckleball' technique to great effect, he began to roam inside, playing centrally rather than an old-fashioned winger as he had done for the previous few years. He even came up with a trademark celebration.
It was clear to see why Real Madrid wanted him. Not only did he have an abundance of talent and athleticism, but he was very marketable and looked like a natural heir to Ronaldo's throne at the Santiago Bernabéu. But since his move to Spain, it hasn't quite gone to plan.
It's very hard to evaluate how well Bale has actually done in Madrid due to his persistent injury problems. While the club have won three of the last four Champions Leagues, Bale's contribution has lessened throughout. Every time Ronaldo has shown signs of slowing down, he has managed to step it up a gear, as shown by his explosive bicycle kick against Juventus last Tuesday. Bale also faces another problem: Isco.
The bandy-legged magician has struggled for game time, but Zidane evidently trusts him to play in the big games. His ability to glide across the pitch, retain possession and create chances is invaluable in Champions League knockout ties, and this has led to Bale's demotion to the bench. Even Lucas Vazquez came on ahead of Bale at the Juventus Stadium.
As you can imagine, Bale is not too happy about his current status at Madrid, and will probably leave the club in the summer.
"I understand that he is not in a good mood, that's normal," Zidane said at his press conference on Saturday, ahead of Real's La Liga game against city rivals Atlético Madrid on Sunday.
"Players want to play in every game. We know what a good player he is and what he has done. I have to take decisions but if he doesn't play two games it doesn't mean anything. I still think he's an important player."
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Bale hardly celebrated Madrid's goals against Juventus in their 3-0 away win this week, which intensified rumours of the Welshman's discontent.
"My sensation is that he will stay but I don't know everything that will happen," Zidane added.
"He won't lose any motivation, he's like the rest of the squad. It's my job to try and make sure he plays as well as always. He's an important player but others played against Juventus and did very well. That's football."
Zidane is a very capable man manager; you can't win consecutive Champions Leagues with team so full of egos if you are not, but he faces a problem without an easy solution. The squad is so full of talented players who want to start, it is impossible to keep them all happy.
It seems that Bale might relieve him of this problem by insisting on a move in the summer.
