Jose Mourinho's fall-out with Gareth Bale becomes a public spectacle

fall-out Jose Mourinho's fall-out with Gareth Bale becomes a public spectacle

Bale's return to Tottenham has failed to reap rewards for player or club

Gareth Bale shakes hands with manager Jose Mourinho. (Dylan Martinez/PA Wire)

February 12 2021 02:41 PM

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has questioned Gareth Bale’s midweek Instagram post and described it as a contradiction ahead of Saturday’s trip to Premier League leaders Manchester City.

The Real Madrid loanee missed Wednesday’s FA Cup defeat at Everton after he was absent from training on Monday and asked for a scan following some discomfort.

Bale had been an unused substitute in Sunday’s 2-0 win over West Brom and, despite not being available for the trip to Goodison Park, a social media update from the Welshman a day earlier stated: “Good session today.”

Quizzed on the 31-year-old’s availability, Mourinho said: “I hope the press conference is about the game and not about individuals. I have to admit his post created a need to be addressed.

“It was a contradiction between the post and the reality. Since the beginning of the season in relationship to everything, I try to be very private and try to keep everything indoors, but I felt I needed to address the situation.

“Probably the post was not even his responsibility, I don’t know? But the post was showing ‘training session great and I am ready’ and was totally wrong.

“When I was questioned I had to say the reality of the things which I repeat for the last time and I hope there are no more questions about it. The situation was exactly how I told.

“He was not feeling good, he asked for a scan. He had a scan, the scan didn’t show an injury but his feelings were still there and coaches, sports science and medical people we can never go against feelings because the player’s feelings are much more important than all of us.

“So he was not ready for the game. It is as simple as that. If he is ready for tomorrow, he is selected for tomorrow.”