Bale's gesture points out how things at Real Madrid are ahead of El Clásico week

February 25, 2019 By Oscar Rojas

Topics: Copa del Rey, El Clásico, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Gareth Bale

During such a relevant week, it seems that Bale's uncalled gesture against Vázquez was not the way to show how the team is working to win any titles.

It was all sunshine and rainbows for Real Madrid ahead of El Clásico, but their ride has gotten a bit bumpy with one unexpected loss and the antics of one of their supposed "leaders".

That man is none other than Gareth Bale, who stole the spotlight away from the team due to an unexpected gesture after scoring a goal. The Welshman snubbed Lucas Vázquez's hug to celebrate what would be the game-winning goal, raising the question of what could the striker be thinking about to show off a hint of bad relationship with his team-mates.

First off, Bale's sub role under Solari seems to have him on the edge of a breakdown. The player's inner circle (mainly agent Jonathan Barnett) has stated that the player is tired of being used as a scapegoat for all of Madrid's woes, especially since he's been key to some of the team's most-appreciated moments in recent history. The team's No. 11 believes that it is a direct insult to have Vinicius and Lucas Vázquez ahead of him in Solari's power rankings.

Next up is his relationship with his team-mates. The player was exposed by Thibaut Courtois and Marcelo in the past couple of weeks as an estranged footballer, who likes to spend more time playing golf than hanging out with his team-mates. Courtois' dig at Bale by calling him "The Golfer" and Marcelo's words about his lack of interest to learn Spanish enraged Bale, since he believes that those attacks were uncalled for.

Last, but not least, is his deteriorated relationship with team president, Florentino Pérez. Months ago, Pérez was quite satisfied with Bale's performance, which motivated him to sell Cristiano Ronaldo in order to see the Welshman taking over as the team's leader. The player's constant injuries have deterred him from this goal, and now, Pérez seems willing to let him go for the right price.

Solari's term as boss has been filled with controversy due to these sort of calls. Will his decisions on Bale backfire during Wednesday's Clásico or Saturday's clash?