“We all know who the real parasite is” – Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale issues strong response to ‘derogatory and speculative journalism’ about him

Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale launched a scathing attack on Spanish sports newspaper MARCA for calling him a parasite for seeing off the entirety of his £15 million-a-year contract.

Bale, one part of the famous “BBC” trio that won 4 UEFA Champions League titles, moved to La Liga back in 2013. The Welshman has not been a regular, especially through the past couple of seasons and has had a lot of injury trouble during his stay also. Bale’s contract is set to end in the summer and the winger is expected to leave the club.

MARCA attacked Bale earlier this week with journalist Manuel Julia Dorado calling him a parasite and accusing him of robbing the club. Now, the footballer has responded on social media, calling the initial report by MARCA slanderous and derogatory. He in turn seemed to accuse MARCA of being a parasite:

“The everyday pressures on athletes is immense, and it's as 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 our children are of an age where they are able to ingest news, that journalism ethics and standards will have been enforced more stringently.”

Bale added:

“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 that are projected onto them. We all know who the real Parasite is!”

Gareth Bale deserves respect

Gareth Bale, in an ideal world, would have been considered a Real Madrid legend and spoken of with the same kind of affection as the likes of Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, etc. He has provided plenty of memorable moments for the Blaugrana and a loaded trophy cabinet that demands more respect.

Once considered to be the obvious heir to Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale’s career never reached the kind of heights that were expected of him, back at Tottenham. At the same time, he has proved his worth for his national side on countless occasions and has every right to demand more respect at Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to not turn to Gareth Bale during the recent El Clasico loss has also been criticized by fans. The freekick for Wales in the match against Austria on March 24 more than proved that he is still capable of doing a job. Multiple clubs can be expected to compete for him in the summer.

Before that, Bale will want to complete his century of goals. For Madrid, the Welshman has scored 99 times and assisted 58 goals in 243 overall appearances. Considering his achievements and records, Gareth Bale is hardly a parasite, and he can be forgiven for hitting back at MARCA after being called one.