Bale regrets racing back from injury, says "not 100 percent" for final

Record ID: 877381

  • Title: Bale regrets racing back from injury, says "not 100 percent" for final
  • Date: 30th May 2017
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MAY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID STRIKER KARIM BENZEMA TRAINING MIDFIELDER ISCO ALARCON DURING TRAINING SESSION STRIKER CRISTIANO RONALDO DRINKING WATER AND TALKING TO STAFF MEMBERS REAL MADRID FORWARD GARETH BALE ARRIVING AT MIX ZONE BALE AT MIX ZONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REAL MADRID FORWARD GARETH BALE, ASKED HOW HE WAS FEELING, SAYING: "I am feeling fine, I have no problems. For me it has been fantastic over the last few weeks, and whatever the manager decides obviously will happen. If he chooses whoever, I am sure the team will be supportive as we always are. It's obviously been difficult for me this season with injuries from my operation, it has been difficult to come back properly from it. I have been working hard on my fitness the last few weeks, obviously I am not a 100 percent match fit so whether the manager thinks it might be a problem, it may be so, and if I have to be on the bench and come off the bench to make an impact then that's what I have to do." BALE AT MIX ZONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REAL MADRID FORWARD GARETH BALE, ASKED IF IT WAS A SPECIAL MOTIVATION TO BE PLAYING IN CARDIFF, SAYING: "I don't think you need extra motivation to play in a Champions League final but yeah obviously it's special to be in my home town where I grew up and where I was born and that's ultimately why I have been working so hard, double sessions every day to get my fitness back up and strengthen my injury, and work on it and let it heal a bit more as well so yeah, it will be a special moment and even more special if we can win." BALE AND RONALDO DURING SESSION CENTRE BACK SERGIO RAMOS DRINKING WATER AND JOKING MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO ARRIVING AT MIX ZONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO SAYING: "We know we can achieve something historical but our humility and our work will not change, our way of playing and our style will not change. As I said, the year is almost perfect because we won La Liga which is so difficult to win and we have our merit for winning it but we have a very difficult match ahead, the most important match of the year will be against Juve so I hope Madrid can win the title." REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE GIVING INSTRUCTIONS DURING TRAINING BALE AND RAMOS PASSING THE BALL LEFT BACK MARCELO ARRIVING AT MIX ZONE MARCELO AT MIX ZONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID LEFT BACK MARCELO, ASKED ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "The way he works is the simple way, staying out of trouble. When he wins he doesn't talk too much and when he loses he works more, so that's it. I think he has got the key." SERGIO RAMOS RECOVERING THE BALL / PLAYERS TRAINING REAL MADRID CAPTAIN SERGIO RAMOS ARRIVING AT MIX ZONE RAMOS AT MIX ZONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID CAPTAIN SERGIO RAMOS, TALKING ABOUT THE FINAL, SAYING: "I think you can't live in the past. We have won the league last week and celebrated it but we have to focus on a Champions League final. We are aware of our rival that will be in front and it will be very tough, a very nice match to play, but it will be very complicated. We know them perfectly, they are a rival we have been facing almost every year so in that sense we are not confident at all. We have the maximum respect, really looking forward to it but being conscious it is a final that it's very difficult to get into it, and we have to leave our souls on the pitch." MARCELO RECEIVING BALL AND CROSSING BALE RECEIVING BALL, CROSSING AND CASEMIRO HEADING THE BALL REAL MADRID MIDFIELDER LUKA MODRIC AT MIX ZONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID MIDFIELDER LUKA MODRIC, SPEAKING ABOUT ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "It has been amazing because he came in at a difficult moment for the team and he managed to change everything. He gave confidence to all the players and made them feel important so he has a lot of merit for what we have been achieving." RONALDO SHOOTING TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 13th June 2017 17:11
  • Keywords: Real Madrid Gareth Bale Champions Ramos Marcelo Modric Casemiro
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016J17DBZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Real Madrid players spoke on Tuesday (May 30) about the Champions League final on the UEFA official media day in Madrid.
    Real Madrid play Juventus on Saturday (June 3) at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
    Welsh forward Gareth Bale said he was eager to play in his home town but was not match fit after injury and would accept any decision made by Real coach Zinedine Zidane.
    The question of whether Zidane will field Bale at the Millennium Stadium or high-flying Spanish midfielder Isco, who has scored five goals and notched three assists in his last eight games, is the Spanish media's main talking point before Saturday's final, where Real bid to become the first team to successfully defend the European Cup since AC Milan in 1990.
    Left back Marcelo and the influential midfielder Luka Modric praised Zidane's work and said the success and titles of the team were due to his work and influence.
    Captain Sergio Ramos said the team cannot rest on their achievements so far, as overcoming Juventus will be their toughest test.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register