Gareth Bale has revealed he hasn’t spoken to former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane since his stunning Champions League final goal against Liverpool.
The Welshman had barely warmed his boots up after coming off the bench in May 2018’s showcase final before finishing a Marcelo cross with a sublime overhead kick to put Los Blancos 2-1 up.
Did Bale and Zidane end on bad terms? Five key things to know…
- Zidane guided Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016-2018.
- The Frenchman left Bale on the bench for the 2018 final against Liverpool, much to his frustration.
- However, Bale came off the bench and scored twice to seal a 3-1 win against the Reds.
- Bale’s first goal was an incredible overhead kick which drew comparisons from supporters to Zidane’s volley in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen.
- Bale has revealed the pair haven’t spoken about the goal or to each other at all, since that final.
A Loris Karius mistake allowed Bale to add his second of the game, with Real running out 3-1 winners, but it was his first goal that had fans talking, with an immediate debate sparked as to whether it was better than Zidane’s volley against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002.
But Zidane left his post as manager shortly after and Bale has revealed that the pair haven’t spoken about the goal, or to each other at all, since that night, telling FourFourTwo: “He didn’t talk to me about it – I still haven’t spoken to him since. Our relationship was good. I wouldn’t say we were best mates, it was just a normal professional relationship.”
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Bale: Anger fueled my goal
Bale’s double in that final made him the first ever substitute to score twice in a Champions League final and although the 29-year-old admitted he was frustrated not to start the game, he insists he channelled that frustration into his first goal and was happy to help the club take home their fourth title in five years.
“I was really frustrated not to start,” he added. “I’d played pretty well since coming back from the last little niggle I’d had in December. I scored five goals in my last four league games of the season and felt like I deserved to be involved from the start.
“I was desperate to get onto that pitch. When I ran on I was still a bit angry, and that’s probably why I did what I did next.
“I’ve watched the goal back a couple of times. I didn’t feel like I had a point to prove – I wanted to do it for myself and the team. If you play in any final you want to be going home with the trophy, no matter what it takes. If it meant waiting to come on for the last 30 minutes, so be it.”
The post Gareth Bale yet to speak with Zidane since Champions League-winning display v Liverpool appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka News http://bit.ly/2BqdMW7
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