Gareth Bale has never made a secret of his second love besides football.
After Wales qualified for Euro 2020, the star posed among his teammates with the green and white national flag with a red dragon at its centre.
About the mythical creature, Bale named his passions: Wales.
Golf.
Madrid.
And so that nothing gets mixed up, it was written underneath for clarification: in that order, in this order.
Tobias Rabe
Responsible editor for Sport Online.
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The prioritization does not come from Bale himself. Predrag Mijatović, a former player and later sports director at Real Madrid, said in a radio interview that it seemed to him that Bale's focus was first on the national team, then on his favorite pastime and finally on his employer lie.
The fans from home found it funny, those from Real Madrid not so much.
Bale obviously had his fun too, cheering with the flag in hand.
There are few players where the situation in the club and in the national team was so different.
After impressive performances at Tottenham Hotspur, Bale came to Madrid in 2013 for the world-record sum of 101 million euros.
He even cost four million more than Cristiano Ronaldo four years earlier.
However, the Welshman never came close to the achievements and importance of Beau, even if 106 goals in 258 games don't read badly at all.
The Portuguese scored an unbelievable 450 goals in 438 games.
Bale has won 19 titles, including five Champions Leagues.
However, he was never a madridista favourite, even when he decided the 2018 premier class final with a spectacular overhead kick.
In the national team, however, Bale was always the Ronaldo – the outstanding star.
The sporting success of the past few years solidified his status.
Wales sensationally reached the semi-finals at Euro 2016 and reached the round of 16 at the continental tournament last year.
The nation had had to wait since 1958 for a World Cup qualification.
She's just in time for Bale, who is now 33 and has been struggling with aches and pains lately.
Had Wales not reached the tournament in Qatar, his current job title might already be 'early retired professional footballer'.
After his contract expired in the summer and Real finally got rid of bench press Bale from a high position on the payroll, he had to make a decision.
Wales won the game against Ukraine in the World Cup play-offs when Bale's free-kick deflected the ball into the goal.
Qualifying for Qatar marked a golden ending to a career on the big stage.
So a club was needed that would give him four months of paid preparation for this peak.
Los Angeles FC grabbed it.
Curious: Although Bale's contract in Madrid had expired, his new club had to transfer 75,000 dollars (currently 72,495 euros).
Not to Madrid, but to Miami.
League competitor Inter Miami had once secured a right of first refusal to Bale when moving to American Major League Soccer (MLS).
The small investment was worth it – for both sides.
Bale may not have played 400 minutes for LAFC, but he recovered from injury in time for the MLS final against Philadelphia, saving his side on penalties with a late goal in extra time and then celebrating the title.
Now Bale is ready for the career finals in Qatar.
Because of the health handicaps, not everyone is sure Bale can last three games in eight days at the highest level.
Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has no doubts.
“Gareth is fit for 90 minutes.
He's our key player, our captain, our role model," said the goalkeeper before the start this Monday against the USA (8 p.m. CET in the FAZ live ticker for the World Cup, on ZDF and on MagentaTV).
Coach Rob Page is also certain that Bale will deliver “as soon as he puts on the national jersey”.
The opponent is, of all things, the selection of the country in which Bale got fit.
In the group, it is possible that Wales' duel with the USA will be about who will move into the round of 16 as second behind England.
The anticipation is immense.
"It's the biggest event for Welsh football," said Bale after qualifying.
"We've worked for this our entire career."
For that, the second passion has to rest for the moment, at least on the golf course.
Coach Page has banned the outings for the players;
they should concentrate fully on football and not swing the bat in the heat in the tight World Cup schedule.
This is a problem for the Welsh.
The training was already scheduled for the afternoon.
"Hopefully it will be a little cooler.
We sweat just walking around the hotel,” complained Mark Harris.
Bale doesn't mind the sweaty circumstances.
After all, he played in Spain for a long time.
And he has also found a way to indulge his second passion in the Persian Gulf: He gets himself going for the World Cup on the golf simulator in the elegant Delta Hotels City Center in Doha.