Gareth Bale focused on Barcelona - Real Madrid coach Solari swerves questions on winger controversy

Bale shrugged off teammate Vazquez after scoring a winning penalty on Sunday.
AFP/Getty Images
Ben Hayward26 February 2019

Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari swerved a series of questions about Gareth Bale ahead of Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Barcelona, insisting that the Welsh winger is focused on the Clasico clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale has been the subject of a number of negative and even vicious reports in the Spanish press after he refused to celebrate his penalty winner at Levante on Sunday with Lucas Vazquez.

Footage has also emerged of the 29-year-old sitting back down on the bench before coming on when he was supposed to be warming up on the sidelines.

After the stock opening question from the club's own media channel, attention in Tuesday's pre-match press conference quickly turned to Bale and Solari was asked what he had thought of the player's gesture with Lucas, when he shook off his team-mate and declined to celebrate with the Galician.

In Pictures | Levante vs Real Madrid | 24/02/19

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"Our focus is on the match," the Argentine said. "That has all of our attention. The first leg was a very nice game and our focus is on tomorrow. Gareth's and everyone else's. We are all together, with the objective of winning tomorrow."

Asked if the player is 100 per cent committed, Solari said: "There are many places where you can focus your attention. We don't put ours on the periphery of the anecdotic. There are lots of lovely places you can look. We are looking towards the match."

None of Bale's teammate could coax a celebration out of him.
AFP/Getty Images

Another question sought to establish if there had been a lack of discipline from Bale, but Solari repeated his previous answers and added: "The objective is to enjoy the game and to get through. We have worked hard and earned the right to be here."

Had he had a conversation with the winger after the events on Sunday? "What happens in private stays that way," he said. And asked whether what happened in Valencia could influence his team selection in the Clasico, he said: "I'm not going to tell you the line-up."

Madrid face a Barca side with Lionel Messi back to his best after hitting a brilliant hat-trick in the 4-2 win at Sevilla on Saturday, but Solari says there is not fear surrounding his compatriot.

"That word doesn't exist in football. We enjoy the competition. A player's perspective is to enjoy."

Solari refused to reveal whether Marcelo would start, but said he hoped Real would impress as they had in a the first leg, a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou.

"It's a cup semi-final," he said. "The first leg was special. Let's hope tomorrow's is just as special for us."

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