Gareth Bale

[yanno]

From our point of view, footballers should play for love of playing and the money should be a happy bonus, and the truth is clearly the opposite. However, same as when Beckham went to LA and other similar examples, he’s going to go and experience a new culture steeped in history and see things which the majority of us here, myself included, never get the chance to. Throw in the unbelievable benefit to his children of spending part of their youth learning and growing in a very different part of the world, the fact that he’s achieved everything he could possibly want to achieve professionally, and yes, an enormous amount of money, and it becomes an opportunity that is too good to turn down.

My sister in law, Yorkshire born and raised, has two children, one born in Bosnia and the other in Hungary, who have lived between them in those two countries, Thailand and Vienna, they are 10 and 5 respectively and have learnt and absorbed more than any children of the same age I’ve seen in this country. Meanwhile my sister in law and her husband are seeing the world, making friends everywhere and continuing to have adventures now in their forties. This is on the salary of international school teachers, not elite world famous athletes.

We have purist expectations of how players conduct their careers, but ultimately they are people just like us who have infinite potential motivators just like us. Le Tissier was the hot shot who just preferred being the main man in an sme to being a cog in a large corporation. Alan Shearer achieved the pinnacle at a young age and then saw his career out somewhere he loved and cared about rather than hit the stratosphere somewhere glamourous. Phil Nevill, Nicky Butt and Solskjaer were far happier being business supporting at a huge organisation than main men at a start up. And maybe the players who go to China, India, Australia, USA etc at an age where they still have something to offer the top leagues are doing so because, having achieved a huge amount already, they want to experience life out there while they’re young enough to really enjoy it because when they were 18 they couldn’t go on a ‘gap yaar’ because they were to busy dedicating themselves to making it as top class professional footballers in the first place.

Or maybe it’s just the money, but you know what, these guys invest so much time, emotion and effort into getting to the top of their careers that they have every right to decide what career moves they should next make and it’s pretty arrogant to judge them for it. None of you would be thrilled about having your motives question of you took a high flying position with an overseas company,m I’d imagine.

You've spectacularly missed the point.

I'm the son of a child refugee and have experienced many different cultures and heritages. Like many of your family members, I greatly value those experiences, and hopefully they have made my loved ones and me a more rounded and better human being.

But Gareth Bale is one of the richest sports stars in the world, with only a couple of elite years left. If he wants to live in China, or Kenya, or Peru, or Antarctica, he can make a home there with his family any time he likes once he's retired. Hopefully he's got decades of very financially comfortable life ahead of him.

However, if he goes to China now, he won't be scoring bicycle kicks in CL finals, and creating moments that will live in the memory of hundreds of milllion people forever. His top flight career, and the possibility of sporting glory, will be over.

Bale's situation is not comparable to one of us taking "a high flying position with an overseas company".

If he's just about the Benjamins, then he'll depart for China. But he could still earn a fantastic amount of money, stay in Europe, and create some spectacular moments that will give him and his children a warm and irreplaceable glow of satisfaction as he sits in his rocking chair in his dotage.

The chavski midfielder Oscar went to China when he was only 25. On his day, he was a world class talent. Now he's invisible to most football fans and absent from the Brazilian national team. And I suspect like many young South Americans, there may be shadowy figures motivated by greed who determined his fate.

Bale has no such constraints (despite the reports of the alleged criminal activities of some of his extended family).

He has the opton of saying: "I've made a ton of money in my six seasons in Madrid, and I'll take the smallest reduction in overall earnings my agent can negotiate over the next four seasons to ensure I'm still competing at the very highest level for a top European club."

I choose, therefore I am.

 

[nedley]

His reputation will definitely take a hit from this. He won't be as fondly remembered.

If he's not bothered about that then fair enough.

Just won't be in my All-time Spurs 11 anymore.

Andy Sinton's in.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Who here knows exactly how any deal or proposed deal for Gareth Bale would work? What are the protocols involved. How does a club do such a deal, the first call is to Madrid? After that? What happens?

I'm asking because this looks like a fuckoff great big complicated deal to me and I don't have clue number one so I'm starting to feel a bit left behind here, there's a lot of people seem to know how this is going to roll, who'll decide what and the exact motivations behind those decisions.

I'd appreciate some clarity from the enlightened because I'm fucking baffled

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Who here knows exactly how any deal or proposed deal for Gareth Bale would work? What are the protocols involved. How does a club do such a deal, the first call is to Madrid? After that? What happens?

I'm asking because this looks like a fuckoff great big complicated deal to me and I don't have clue number one so I'm starting to feel a bit left behind here, there's a lot of people seem to know how this is going to roll, who'll decide what and the exact motivations behind those decisions.

I'd appreciate some clarity from the enlightened because I'm fucking baffled

 

[Gbspurs]

You've spectacularly missed the point.

I'm the son of a child refugee and have experienced many different cultures and heritages. Like many of your family members, I greatly value those experiences, and hopefully they have made my loved ones and me a more rounded and better human being.

But Gareth Bale is one of the richest sports stars in the world, with only a couple of elite years left. If he wants to live in China, or Kenya, or Peru, or Antarctica, he can make a home there with his family any time he likes once he's retired. Hopefully he's got decades of very financially comfortable life ahead of him.

However, if he goes to China now, he won't be scoring bicycle kicks in CL finals, and creating moments that will live in the memory of hundreds of milllion people forever. His top flight career, and the possibility of sporting glory, will be over.

Bale's situation is not comparable to one of us taking "a high flying position with an overseas company".

If he's just about the Benjamins, then he'll depart for China. But he could still earn a fantastic amount of money, stay in Europe, and create some spectacular moments that will give him and his children a warm and irreplaceable glow of satisfaction as he sits in his rocking chair in his dotage.

The chavski midfielder Oscar went to China when he was only 25. On his day, he was a world class talent. Now he's invisible to most football fans and absent from the Brazilian national team. And I suspect like many young South Americans, there may be shadowy figures motivated by greed who determined his fate.

Bale has no such constraints (despite the reports of the alleged criminal activities of some of his extended family).

He has the opton of saying: "I've made a ton of money in my six seasons in Madrid, and I'll take the smallest reduction in overall earnings my agent can negotiate over the next four seaons to ensure I'm still competing at the very highest level for a top European club."

I choose, therefore I am.

I do agree with this. When you are a player as talented as Bale you can make the big money overseas move later in your career. He has a good 3/4 years at the top, why not see that out at PSG, Bayern or back in the PL? Maybe he thinks as he has won the CL he has nothing left to achieve or prove and maybe he is right but I would rather see him tearing up the CL again than playing against nobodies I'm China.

 

[RikkiRocket]

Who here knows exactly how any deal or proposed deal for Gareth Bale would work? What are the protocols involved. How does a club do such a deal, the first call is to Madrid? After that? What happens?

I'm asking because this looks like a fuckoff great big complicated deal to me and I don't have clue number one so I'm starting to feel a bit left behind here, there's a lot of people seem to know how this is going to roll, who'll decide what and the exact motivations behind those decisions.

I'd appreciate some clarity from the enlightened because I'm fucking baffled

Here you go.

Tapas is out.
Duck with plum sauce and spring onion - IN.

 

[topper]

Who here knows exactly how any deal or proposed deal for Gareth Bale would work? What are the protocols involved. How does a club do such a deal, the first call is to Madrid? After that? What happens?

I'm asking because this looks like a fuckoff great big complicated deal to me and I don't have clue number one so I'm starting to feel a bit left behind here, there's a lot of people seem to know how this is going to roll, who'll decide what and the exact motivations behind those decisions.

I'd appreciate some clarity from the enlightened because I'm fucking baffled

To be fair you're reaching that sort of age when waking up in the morning baffles you!

 

[nailsy]

I thought the Chinese government had changed their tax laws to dissuade huge salaries in order to promote homegrown talent.

I’m not entirely sure we need him. Son’s stats compare pretty favourably to Bale’s, and he’s not got the lightning pace he once had. I think he could still have a decent career for a few more years, maybe as a 10, but there are better deals out there.

I think they introduced a 100% tax on transfer fees over £7m (or something like that). I don't think wages were part of it, unless they changed it recently.

 

[hughy]

Here you go.

Tapas is out.
Duck with plum sauce and spring onion - IN.

I'd take that trade 100 times out of 100.

 

[Spurger King]

You've spectacularly missed the point.

I'm the son of a child refugee and have experienced many different cultures and heritages. Like many of your family members, I greatly value those experiences, and hopefully they have made my loved ones and me a more rounded and better human being.

But Gareth Bale is one of the richest sports stars in the world, with only a couple of elite years left. If he wants to live in China, or Kenya, or Peru, or Antarctica, he can make a home there with his family any time he likes once he's retired. Hopefully he's got decades of very financially comfortable life ahead of him.

However, if he goes to China now, he won't be scoring bicycle kicks in CL finals, and creating moments that will live in the memory of hundreds of milllion people forever. His top flight career, and the possibility of sporting glory, will be over.

Bale's situation is not comparable to one of us taking "a high flying position with an overseas company".

If he's just about the Benjamins, then he'll depart for China. But he could still earn a fantastic amount of money, stay in Europe, and create some spectacular moments that will give him and his children a warm and irreplaceable glow of satisfaction as he sits in his rocking chair in his dotage.

The chavski midfielder Oscar went to China when he was only 25. On his day, he was a world class talent. Now he's invisible to most football fans and absent from the Brazilian national team. And I suspect like many young South Americans, there may be shadowy figures motivated by greed who determined his fate.

Bale has no such constraints (despite the reports of the alleged criminal activities of some of his extended family).

He has the opton of saying: "I've made a ton of money in my six seasons in Madrid, and I'll take the smallest reduction in overall earnings my agent can negotiate over the next four seaons to ensure I'm still competing at the very highest level for a top European club."

I choose, therefore I am.

As you say, there’s literally no other reason to go to China (or the USA) other than money. He could retire today and live wherever he wants. I understand that he may well think that he’s reached the peak at club level and deserves to spend the last years of his playing career earning the big renminbi for very little effort, but I’d hope he’d still have the hunger for success.

 

[The Opinionated Lurker]

Some players would consider their careers effectively done after one Champions League medal, Gareth has four. If he goes to China, I don’t think he’ll be having any sleepless nights about how his career went.

 

[JCRD]

Here you go.

Tapas is out.
Duck with plum sauce and spring onion - IN.

Man I do love duck pancakes... id take that trade.

Tap is small plates full of potatoes and stuff... not for me although id still eat it.

If you paying me £600k a week to eat duck pancakes... hell id eat dick pancakes...

 

[JCRD]

Some players would consider their careers effectively done after one Champions League medal, Gareth has four. If he goes to China, I don’t think he’ll be having any sleepless nights about how his career went.

He has pretty much won it all

Not only that, he will continue to play for Wales and will be away from the spotlight for a bit which may be what he wants given the hassle and attention he has received over the past year

 

[TC18]

He’s got to be fairly confident that it’s the move for him. If he ends up in China and doesn’t like it, the pay drops going be a lot more substantial than if he left Madrid now and goes to somewhere else in Europe. I can’t see a Chinese team subsiding his wage.

 

[Indisguise]

Man I do love duck pancakes... id take that trade.

Tap is small plates full of potatoes and stuff... not for me although id still eat it.

If you paying me £600k a week to eat duck pancakes... hell id eat dick pancakes...

Typo?

 

[Spurger King]

He has pretty much won it all

Not only that, he will continue to play for Wales and will be away from the spotlight for a bit which may be what he wants given the hassle and attention he has received over the past year

If I were him I’d join Torino for free.

 

[RikkiRocket]

Man I do love duck pancakes... id take that trade.

Tap is small plates full of potatoes and stuff... not for me although id still eat it.

If you paying me £600k a week to eat duck pancakes... hell id eat dick pancakes...

That’s not China mate. ?

 

[dagraham]

Who here knows exactly how any deal or proposed deal for Gareth Bale would work? What are the protocols involved. How does a club do such a deal, the first call is to Madrid? After that? What happens?

I'm asking because this looks like a fuckoff great big complicated deal to me and I don't have clue number one so I'm starting to feel a bit left behind here, there's a lot of people seem to know how this is going to roll, who'll decide what and the exact motivations behind those decisions.

I'd appreciate some clarity from the enlightened because I'm fucking baffled

Sorry, but asking questions to those ITK is not allowed. Do take time to read the rules .

 

[JCRD]

Typo?

Nope

Id eat dick sandwiches for 600k a week.

 

[Sandros Shiny Head]

Weird choice really. He could move to another team in Europe on slightly less wages and still command unholy amounts in China in 3 years time, it’s not like he’s going to suddenly not be Gareth Bale in that time