Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro has called on the club’s fans to stop whistling Wales International Gareth Bale.
Bale was jeered on Saturday when he came on as a 74th minute substitute during Madrid’s 2-0 LaLiga win over Getafe, in his first appearance at the Bernabeu since February 2020.
The forward has played just five times for Madrid in the league this season.
Fans were angry when he was declared unfit for the team’s Clasico clash with Barcelona last month, only to start for Wales — scoring twice in a World Cup playoff with Austria — four days later.
“When you whistle one player, you whistle all of us,” midfielder Casemiro told a news conference on Monday ahead of Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg with Chelsea.
“Football is about opinions, everyone has theirs, but I don’t agree when a player on my team is whistled. We’re all on the same side, we have to support him.”
Bale’s contract at Madrid will expire this summer, bringing an end to a nine-year stay in Spain that has seen him win four Champions League titles — scoring in the 2014 and 2018 finals — but also attract criticism for his injury record and perceived prioritising of his national team.
