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| Real Madrid's start to the 2016/17 season has been near-perfect: a win in the UEFA Super Cup, an opening-day victory inLaLiga at Real Sociedad with a clean sheet and now news that several players are about to be tied down to new contracts. |
Marca's Carlos Carpio reported that the Spanish club are to handGareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Martin Odegaard new long-term deals, and while all three are cause for celebration for Los Blancos' fans, it is Bale's that is most noteworthy.
For a player who has previously not had the full backing of the support base, the local media or even the trust of his team-mates, it marks a complete turnaround for the Welsh winger.
The 27-year-old has now flown toward the top of the player hierarchy at Real, becoming a vital part of the team and viewed as one of the most reliable match-winners in European football.
Ratings and rants
Despite several seasons as a first-team starter since a huge move fromTottenham Hotspur, Bale was still having to convince some of his worth as recently as 10 months ago.
It was then that pundits on Spanish radio criticised Bale for putting country before club when he was injured for Wales and was unable to feature for Real Madrid.
On top of that, Marca gave Bale no rating whatsoever—the only player to receive a non-grade—when Barcelona beat them in El Clasico in March 2015 (h/t the Daily Mail's Jonny Singer).
AS' Tomas Roncero went further, as he suggested Bale had ridiculed Real Madrid after costing the team €100 million only to prioritise playing in an irrelevant match against Andorra instead of representing his club—Wales had already qualified for Euro 2016.
The journalist said the Welshman's decision was "inadmissible for a Real Madrid professional...Madrid is not a second-hand [option], Gareth" (link in Spanish).
With former manager Rafael Benitez opting to attempt a 4-2-3-1 with Bale at the centre of the attacking line at the beginning of last season, plenty in the Spanish national media, of all types, used that role alteration as a stick to beat Bale with as well as his manager.
It's worth noting that despite Bale not hitting the heights he was capable of, and his fitness record being questionable at the start of 15/16, he actually performed reasonably well in the different system.
But it didn't suit the narrative, and ability was overlooked in favour of Bale being the scapegoat, even in the face of incredible hypocrisy from the same media outlets regarding James Rodriguez's injuries and non-involvement.
Finish and start
Quite why it took so many people so long to conclude that both Bale and Ronaldo could be stars of Real Madrid is a mystery.
There's little doubt, though, that some were happy to deride Bale's ability or achievements in a Madrid shirt to ensure that Ronaldo remained seen as the No. 1—which he was anyway, by consistency, by numbers or by top form.
All those negative headlines achieved was perhaps to erode the confidence of the Welshman and the confidence in him from the crowd.
In the end, though, talent has comfortably won through.
Bale ended 15/16 as the most important attacking component of Real's team, dragging Zinedine Zidane's men toward the finish line of LaLigaand proving vital in their charge toward UEFA Champions League success.
As detailed here, that boost in importance to the team's achievements has carried over into this season, and it means Bale is perhaps looking at a personal-best campaign.
With no Ronaldo and no Karim Benzema available at the start of this season, it was Bale who drove Real on to success against RealSociedad, notching two goals to go with his all-round impressive work ethic and link play.
It's only a start, but it provides the platform to what he can go on to achieve this year.
Contract
Bale's new contract is reported to run until 2021, placing him firmly at the front of the queue for Zidane's ongoing restructuring and re-establishing of Real Madrid's team at the top of the European football tree.
Ronaldo's deal will run for a year less, but he's also four years Bale's senior; the Portuguese star will remain a key player until his physicality fails or his relentless nature of scoring is diminished, but he said that last season was a career best for him, as he told UEFA's website (via Marca's Patricia Terroba).
If Bale can follow even roughly the same trajectory in his upper 20s and heading toward 30, this new deal will see new heights hit by the ex-Spurs man in the coming seasons, naturally crossing paths at some point with a waning Ronaldo to become Real's undisputed star player.
But being seen as the definitive No. 1 or No. 2 at Real Madrid is not what it's all about.
Bale has blended team importance with individual impact, tactical selflessness with technical excellence. It's that kind of all-round package that has seen Ronaldo and Lionel Messi be crowned the top player in the world year after year over the last decade, and to which Bale aspires.
Nominated as one of three finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, Bale told Real Madrid's website it was a "huge honour" to be chosen along with Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann.
Real Madrid, Europe, the world—how high can Bale go and be seen as the best in?
Future
Griezmann suggests that he deserves the award for the season he had with Atleti, per World Soccer. Naturally, both Real players err on the side of thanking their team-mates rather than suggesting they should beat the other to lift the trophy.
Perhaps more interestingly, no Barcelona player was chosen, despiteLuis Suarez top-scoring in LaLiga ahead of all three last season, LionelMessi winning the Spanish league and cup double and reaching theCopa America final and Neymar showing genuine world-class form—and winning Olympic gold recently, although this happened after the nominees were named.
All three, make no mistake, will be expecting to feature in the final list of names for 2016's Ballon d'Or, just as Griezmann, Ronaldo and Bale will—assuming no big injuries strike between now and December.
It's difficult to imagine that Bale can have another international tournament in his career as he has with Wales at Euro 2016, but then, it was also difficult to envisage them going so far on that occasion, too.
His exploits and brilliance must come at club level on the world stage, in regularly telling Champions League appearances, ever more influential displays in finals and big LaLiga matches, and hitting the big scoring numbers that Messi, Ronaldo or Suarez have done.
That Bale is now being even spoken about in the same terms as those players, with the same possibilities, is testament to just how much he has turned around his fortunes at Real Madrid, and the new contract he has reportedly earned is justification of his efforts.
There's more to come, and now it's almost certain to come at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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