Pundit questions ‘strange’ Zidane, Bale feud after alarming revelation

Danny Mills has described the unease between Zinedine Zidane and Gareth Bale at Real Madrid as a “strange, sad situation” after it was reported Bale refused to play versus Man City.

Los Blancos bowed out of the Champions League on Friday night after their 2-1 defeat ensured they were sunk 4-2 on aggregate.

Chances created in the final third were few and far between despite chasing the game, and one superstar forward notable by his absence was Bale.

The 31-year-old has become a peripheral figure at The Bernabeu, with a recent report claiming the Welshman is angling for a return to the Premier League.

Nevertheless, his attacking prowess could’ve proved useful on Friday, but his feud with Zidane ratcheted up another notch after the Madrid manager claimed (via Sky Sports) that Bale was left out of the squad because he “refused to play.”

That claim has now been called into question by Mills, who believes there is more to the situation than meets the eye.

“I find it all a bit of a strange, sad situation,” said Mills (via Sky Sports).

“Bale doesn’t want to leave Madrid because he’s earning absolute fortunes, and if you refuse to play, immediately the club can say it’s a breach of contract and therefore warrants a fine of a month’s wages.

“That’s probably £2m to Bale, and if the argument is that he doesn’t want to leave because he doesn’t want to take a wage cut, then why would he refuse to play?

“He would’ve turned up, so I don’t believe the story is 100 per cent true. I think there’s other things at stake.

“He’s an exceptional talent, so why wouldn’t you want him there. When Real needed a goal, it would’ve made a difference having him on the bench.

“This is not all of his own doing, and there’s obviously a huge personal issue between him and Zidane and it doesn’t look like being resolved any time soon.”