Zinedine Zidane Reportedly Furious with Gareth Bale for Playing Golf with Injury

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is said to be “furious” with Gareth Bale, as the Welshman chose to play golf the day after picking up a knock during his team’s clash with Getafe. 

According to Carlos Forjanes of AS, the forward was struggling with some discomfort during the match on Saturday, although he still travelled to take part in the Open de Espana the next day, where he played 36 holes, according to Ten-Golf (via Forjanes). Bale was then ruled out of the midweek clash with Villarreal due to an injury.

Forjanes said that despite publicly stating otherwise, “behind the scenes, [Zidane] was furious that one of his star players—one with a recurring history of soleus and back problems—had spent eight hours of his day off playing golf while carrying an injury.”

Bale posted the following snap on social media from his golfing day alongside Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia:

As reported by ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan, Zidane confirmed that Bale should be fit for Madrid’s next match, which is against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

It was certainly a peculiar decision from Bale. This season, he’s been superb whenever taking to the field for Real, shining under Zidane and his predecessor Rafael Benitez. But what has prevented him from kicking on is the succession of injury issues he’s had.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Indeed, after overcoming a poor second season at the club, the only major question mark when it comes to the Welshman is whether he’s capable of staying fit on a consistent basis. As these numbers from the UEFA Champions League Twitter feed illustrate, Bale has been a big plus for Real when he’s been on the field:

According to Forjanes, Bale is passionate about golf, with “a top-of-the-range golf simulator” installed in his home, and he has plans underway to build a three-hole course at his home in Wales.

Nevertheless, as one of the most expensive players of all time and a key man at one of the biggest football clubs on the planet, there’s no doubt where Bale’s priorities should lie. And while there’s no denying his commitment to the Madrid cause when he crosses the white line, the thought process behind this trip doesn’t seem to have been particularly well considered.

As this clip illustrates, Bale is capable with a club in his hands:

While Real overcame Villarreal without him, had they slipped up, the focus on Bale and his activities would have surely been a lot more intense.

JOSEP LAGO/Getty Images

Bale needs to be careful not ruffle Zidane’s feathers, though. Already, the Frenchman has shown he can be ruthless regardless of a player’s reputation, with Isco and James Rodriguez both axed for some crucial clashes recently. 

The Welshman may be more high profile than those two, although he’d be wise to stay in the manager’s good books as Zidane seeks to make his mark at the football club. Additionally, if Bale wants to go on and become one of the elite players in the game, he needs to do whatever he can to steer clear of these niggling injury issues.