Bale releases 265-word statement responding to ‘slanderous journalist’

Lewis Oldham
Bale responds to press

Wales and Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has released a lengthy statement responding to comments made about him by the Spanish press.

The Dragons faced Austria in their World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday evening.


Peak Gareth Bale plays football like it’s a wide-screen movie


Bale was fit enough to play a part despite him missing most of Real Madrid’s game this term through injury.

Ahead of this international game, Spanish outlet Marca released an article on Bale. During the said piece, they referred to the player as “the Welsh parasite”.

Bale scored a sensational brace as Wales beat Austria 2-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium. They will now battle it out with Scotland or Ukraine for a spot at the World Cup.


The 32-year-old has now responded to the comments from Marca. He thinks the Spanish journalist needs to be held “accountable”:

“The Daily Mail shining a light on this piece of slanderous, derogatory and speculative journalist by Marca,” Bale wrote via Twitter.

“At a time where people are taking their own lives because of the callousness and relentlessness of the media, I want to know, who is holding these journalists and the news outlets that allow them to write articles like this, accountable?

“Fortunately I have developed a thick skin during my time in the public spotlight, but that doesn’t mean articles like these don’t cause damage and upset personally and professionally to those at the receiving end of these malicious stories.

“I have witnessed the toll the media can take on people’s mental and physical health.

“The media expect superhuman performances from professional athletes, and will be the first to celebrate with them when they deliver, yet instead of commiserating with them when they show an ounce of human error, they are torn to shreds instead, encouraging anger and disappointment in their fans.

“The everyday pressures on athletes is immense, and it’s clear as day, how negative media attention could easily send an already stressed athlete, or anybody in the public eye, over the edge.

“I hope that by the time out children are of an age where they are able to ingest news, that journalism ethics and standards will have been enforced more stringently.

“So I want to use my platform to encourage change in the way we publicly talk about, and criticise people, simply for the most part, not meeting the often unrealistic expectations there are projected onto them.

“We all know who the real parasite is!”