GARETH BALE has hit out at Real Madrid fans who subject him to whistles, claiming it affects his performance on the field.
The Welshman has endured his fair share of criticism from Los Blancos supporters during a turbulent spell at the Bernabeu.
Gareth Bale has hit out at Real Madrid fans for whistling at himCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Despite winning the Champions League on four occasions, including a scoring stunning overhead kick in the final against Liverpool two years ago, Bale’s relationship with supporters has deteriorated.
Failing to learn Spanish, a string of injuries and his love of golf have all been the major contributing factors.
And it means the 30-year-old is often susceptible to criticism from his own supporters when the team is struggling.
Unlike in England, fans in Spain whistle at their players to show their discontent.
And speaking after receiving numerous hostile receptions, Bale told golf podcast The Erik Anders Lang Show: “We get a lot of pressure every game. If you don’t play well, there’s scrutiny.
“I’ve had 80,000 people in a stadium whistle at me because I haven’t played well. I’ve had it a few times! It’s not nice and it doesn’t do your confidence any good either.
“This is the biggest question and I just don’t get it.
“You would expect that if you’re not having a good time on the pitch, your fans would get behind you and try to help you do better because it’ll make them happy.
It’s not nice and it doesn’t do your confidence any good either.
“But it seems that they do the opposite.
“They whistle you, which consequentially makes you feel worse, you lose your confidence, you play worse and then that makes them even more upset.”
Bale added that his performances at Real Madrid only appear to be based on goals and assists and not his all-round play.
He added: “In football, you might play amazing, not score for five games, and then everyone says you’re having a terrible time.
“You think to yourself that you’re playing well, you just haven’t scored or assisted. But people just like goals, assists and ‘wow’ things. Sometimes that doesn’t always happen.”
Bale has been dubbed “The Golfer” by Real team-mates for the amount of time he spends out on the course.
But he remains puzzled why he continues to get stick for enjoying his hobby even when doctors gave him the green light.
Gareth Bale has had a turbulant relationship with Real Madrid fans
He added: “A lot of people have problems with me playing golf, I don’t know what the reason is,
“I’ve spoken to doctors and everybody’s fine with it.
“The media have this perception that it’s not good for me. ‘You should be resting, it can cause problems, injuries.’
“In America, I know Steph Curry plays maybe on the morning of a game. Here, if I play two days before a game it’s like ‘what’s he doing?'”
Bale has been criticised for spending so much time on the golf course
Gareth Bale shows his footie skills with a golf ball as he stays in to avoid coronavirus
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
