Gareth Bale's agent Jonathan Barnett has insisted the player meant no offence to Real Madrid fans by holding a flag with the message 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.'
Wales' victory over Hungary on Tuesday secured their qualification for Euro 2020, and Bale celebrated the win along with his teammates while holding the flag, which pays tribute to a chant from Wales fans which highlights Bale's supposed list of priorities.
The Spanish media has reacted furiously to Bale's actions, with popular newspaper Marca publishing a front cover with the headline "Disrespectful. Wrong. Ungrateful. In that order", while AS went with the headline "Bale digs himself a hole."
Bale could feature in Madrid's game against Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Sunday, and is expected to receive a frosty reaction from supporters, but speaking to ESPN Barnett said the flag and the celebration were "meant for the media" rather than the fans or the club itself.
Indeed, it is thought his Madrid teammates found Bale's actions amusing rather than being offended by them, but that is unlikely to stop their notoriously fickle fanbase from giving Bale a hard time on Sunday.
The 30-year-old has only made six La Liga appearances so far this season, with manager Zinedine Zidane reportedly desperate to sell him whenever he can. Bale almost moved to China in the summer, but the move was called off at the last minute.
Bale, in turn, admitted he preferred playing for his national team, saying ahead of the last round of Euro 2020 qualifiers: "I definitely have more excitement playing for Wales. It's like playing with your mates down the park on a Sunday. With Wales, I'm speaking my own language and feel more comfortable."
Bale has been linked with a possible move to his former club Tottenham , with new manager Jose Mourinho reportedly a big fan.
