Gareth Bale labels Spanish media 'disgusting' after 'parasite' comment
- Planet Sport writer
- 25 March 2022
Gareth Bale shone as Wales took one step closer to the World Cup on Thursday night with a 2-1 win over Austria in the qualifiers.
Bale was the star again for his country, with his brace helping his side to a crucial 2-1 win in Cardiff.
Before the match, Spanish media had labelled the 32-year-old a "parasite", due to his apparent lack of effort when playing for club side Real Madrid.
The Welshman has played just 77 minutes of football for Los Blancos since the end of August, with a number of calf and hamstring injuries limiting his playing time.
Ahead of El Clasico on the weekend, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti said Bale was unable to play due to a "little niggle", as well as Bale generally not feeling very well.
But while his club football has been rotting, Bale answered his critics in the best possible way on Thursday night, scoring twice at home to help his side inch towards World Cup qualification.
He handed Wales the lead after 25 minutes with a breathtaking free-kick, and then added to the scoreline shortly after the break with another stunning finish, making Marcel Sabitzer's 64th minute goal a mere consolation in the end.
THAT. IS. SENSATIONAL. 😍🏴
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 24, 2022
This is world-class from Gareth Bale 👏 pic.twitter.com/DXHMonDMVy
Following the victory, Bale described the result as a "perfect scenario".
"It was a massive game. We knew coming into it, we spoke yesterday about how big the game is and we have to perform.
"We knew we would have to dig in deep to look into our experience in big games. It's a perfect scenario."
Bale's celebration seemed to mock the criticism fired towards him in recent days, but after the full-time whistle he insisted that he wasn't trying to send a message.
The Dragon
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) March 25, 2022
pic.twitter.com/Pjl3ihZWwh
"I don't need to say anything, it's a waste of my time," said Bale.
"It's disgusting. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am not fussed, end of."
Wales' win sets up a play-off final date with either Scotland or Ukraine, although such match isn't expected to take place until June at the earliest.
The Scotland vs Ukraine game was postponed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and so Wales will have an extended wait to find out their play-off opponents.
