Real Madrid have confirmed the departure of Gareth Bale in a lengthy and heart-felt statement to conclude his nine trophy-laden years with the Spanish giants.
The Welshman had already confirmed his plans of leaving Real Madrid after the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract. Bale had recently hit out at Spanish media outlet Marca as being “disgusting” for comparing him to a parasite over claims he is sucking money out of the Spanish giants. Bale concluded a rant against the reports by stating: “We all know who the real parasite is!”
The forward had faced fresh criticism from the Madrid media after his starring role for Wales in their playoff win over Austria in March. Bale’s fall from prominence at Real Madrid in recent years has been striking and he went six months without featuring for the club this season, although he regained fitness during the international breaks to represent Wales. He has suffered multiple fitness setbacks along the way, but he has become a peripheral player at the club.
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However, his spell in the Spanish capital also proved hugely successful – winning a remarkable 19 trophies across his spell at the club including five Champions League titles – no other player has more. He also scored multiple decisive goals, including in the 2014 and 2018 Champions League titles.
Bale scored 106 goals in 258 appearances for Los Blancos after joining from Tottenham in an £85million transfer in 2013. He was one-third of the fearsome ‘ BBC ’ attacking trident also including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, but saw his role diminish towards the latter end of his time at the Santiago Bernabeu due to his fractious relationship with former manager Zinedine Zidane.
In a statement published on Wednesday afternoon, the European champions said: “ Real Madrid would like to express its gratitude and affection to Gareth Bale, a player who is now part of the legend of this club forever.
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“Since September 2, 2013 when he arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 24, he has lived these nine years as one of the brightest times in our history. During this time in which he has defended the shirt and badge of Real Madrid, he has won 19 titles: 5 European Cups, 4 Club World Cups, 3 European Super Cups, 3 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 3 Spanish Super Cups. On an individual basis, he was named Best Player of the 2018 Champions League Final and won the Ballon d'Or at the Club World Cup that same year.
“Beyond his track record, Gareth Bale has scored marvellous and decisive goals in the memory of all of Real Madrid fans, such as his unforgettable header in the Champions League final in Lisbon, his incredible gallop in the Copa del Rey final in Valencia or his historic Chilean in the final of the Champions League in Kyiv, in which we got the 13 ( Champions League title in the club’s history).
“Real Madrid is and will always be his home, and he wishes him and his whole family the best of luck.”
In an emotional open letter published on Wednesday morning, the 32-year-old Wales superstar said: "I write this message to say thank you to all my team mates, past and present, my managers, the back room staff and to the fans that supported me. I arrived here 9 years ago as a young man who wanted to realise my dream of playing for Real Madrid.
"To wear the pristine white kit, to wear the crest on my chest, to play at the Santiago Bernabeu, to win titles and to be part of what it's so famous for, to win the Champions League. I can now look back, reflect and say with honesty that this dream became a reality and much, much more.
"To be a part of this club's history and to achieve what we achieved while I was a Real Madrid player, has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget. I also want to thank President Florentino Perez, Jose Angel Sanchez, and the board for giving me the opportunity to play for this club.
"Together we were able to create some moments that will live forever in the history of this club and football. It has been an honour. Thank you! HALA MADRID! Gareth Bale."
