Wales boss explains Bale's angry walk-off after future question
Wales boss Rob Page has explained why Gareth Bale angrily walked out of an interview after he was asked about his future.
A miserable last-16 tie for Wales on Saturday saw them lose 4-0 to Denmark and suffer a disappointing exit from Euro 2020.
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Bale and Wales' other key player, Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey, struggled to make an impact.
The pair failed to hit the target from a combined six attempts on goal, with Wales as a team only having one shot on target.
After the match, Bale gave an angry reaction when he was quizzed over his future plans amid speculation over his next move.
What did Bale do?
The Real Madrid attacker has been unsettled for a couple of years, culminating in a loan move to Tottenham for the duration of the 2020/21 season.
Bale, though, struggled to feature on a regular basis for Spurs, and with a massive contract at Madrid the prospect of the Spanish club being able to successfully offload him appears unlikely.
Indeed, there had been speculation that he could even retire from football following Euro 2020.
Has Gareth Bale played his last game for Wales?
...That's the answer to that 😬
📲📺 Reaction: https://t.co/d1dOk6F84u#WALDEN #Euro2020 #bbceuro2020 pic.twitter.com/EPWUc7fflU— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 26, 2021
Perhaps that is why when Bale was questioned by the BBC in the aftermath of the exit that he reacted in such an angry manner.
When it was put to him: “You were asked yesterday if this was going to be your last game for Wales, you said you wanted another one…”
At which point Bale waved his hand at the interviewer and marched off.
Wales boss explains Bale anger
Page, who is standing in for Ryan Giggs, felt the question to Bale had been “insensitive” at a time the 31-year-old was hurting after the defeat.
He defended the forward, who ended the Euros without a goal, though he did create both goals in the key 2-0 group-stage win over Turkey.
“He is feeling like any other player in the changing room - disappointed," Page said about Bale.
"Why would he want to answer a question about his future? For me it's an insensitive question. He’s just come off the pitch after a defeat.
"Emotions are raw. He's just come off the pitch after a defeat. It's about the group and how we bounce back from it.”
