Gareth Bale: “Me and Zinedine Zidane not best mates”

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has opened up on his relationship with former Coach Zinedine Zidane: “It was good, but we weren’t best mates.”

The Welshman has explained he has now spoken with Zidane since the 2018 Champions League final in Lyon, when he struck twice from the bench to help defeat Liverpool 3-1 – and he has explained both goals.

“He didn’t talk to me about it and I still haven’t spoken to him since,” Bale told British magazine FourFourTwo, as cited by Marca.

“Our relationship was good. I wouldn’t say we were best mates, it was just a normal professional relationship.

“I was really frustrated not to start (the final), 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.”

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