This archive report was first published on 21 July 2019.
Real Madrid's Welsh star Gareth Bale has been left out of the team's roster for their recent exhibition match against Bayern Munich at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
According to head coach Zinedine Zidane, Bale's exclusion from the squad is due to the club's efforts to offload him in the coming days.
"He wasn't included in the squad because the club is working on his departure and that's why he didn't play," Zidane said.
While Zidane insists that Bale is not a good fit for the team, he also emphasized that the decision to let him go is not personal.
"It's nothing personal," Zidane added. "There comes a time when things are done because they need to be done. I've not got anything against him. We have to make decisions and change things, that's all there is to it."
"We'll have to see what happens in the coming days. We'll have to see if it goes through tomorrow, if it does then all the better. Let's hope, for everyone's sake, that it happens soon." — Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid head coach
Bale joined Real Madrid six seasons ago, arriving to much fanfare and a blockbuster transfer fee. He has three seasons left on his deal and has been linked to several top clubs, including Tottenham, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich.
