The former captain of Wales, who won all major awards with Real Madrid, called on the football authorities to take action so that “bad things don’t have to happen in order for that to change.”
In his first significant interview since announcing his retirement in January 2023, Bale discussed the highs and lows of a remarkable career, evaluated the overall situation of the game—including the necessity of doing away with VAR, in his opinion—and showed appreciation for Jude Bellingham’s initial influence at Real Madrid.
He is currently under increasing pressure as competitions add matches, which is frustrating the worldwide players’ union FIFPRO.
