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Football London
Football London
Sport
Greg Johnson

'Cruel, out of order, disgrace' - Zinedine Zidane's treatment of Gareth Bale has fans raging

Zinedine Zidane has been criticised for his treatment of Gareth Bale in Real Madrid's 2-0 loss to Real Betis.

In their last league game of the season, the Frenchman was expected to give the Welsh winger an opportunity to say goodbye to fans after five seasons in Spain.

Since moving to the Spanish capital from Tottenham Hotspur, in a deal that made him the most expensive player in football history at the time, the 29-year-old has won four Champions League titles and La Liga.

Zinedine Zidane speaks out on Gareth Bale's future and why he was denied Real Madrid send off 

He is expected to leave Madrid this summer, on a loan deal if not on a permanent switch to another club, and was named on the bench against Betis.

Zidane decided against bringing him on and defended his lack of sentimentality in his post-match comments.

(Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

"It's true, I have not done it, I'm sorry, but nobody knows what's going to happen," he said, as reported by AS. "I have to see day to day, when I see something that does not fit I have to do things the way I think.

"Nobody is going to change what Bale has done, but as a coach I have to live in the present.

"I make these decisions when it is right to do so, and I must act in the best interests of the team at all times."

Tanguy Ndombele transfer talks confirmed by Lyon president as Spurs make breakthrough 

Fans were left less than impressed by the failure to honour Bale, as shown by the reaction on social media below.

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