Gareth Bale has repeatedly stated he will not answer any questions on his future. Therefore, when confronted with the question again, he walked out.
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After Wales’ 4-0 loss to Denmark in the Euro 2020 round of 16 match, emotions were understandbly high in the Welsh camp. Thus, when Gareth Bale stormed out of a TV interview, the reaction was at least understood. The main reason for him storming out was due to the fact he was asked about his Wales future. Bale has repeatedly stated he will not answer any questions on his future. Therefore, when confronted with the question again, he walked out. That being said, he did provide an answer to the question later on.
“I’ll play for Wales until the day that I stop playing football. We’ve just started the World Cup campaign. And we need to take this experience into that,” Bale said afterwards.
“I feel like we have a very good way of playing when we play well and we need to keep that confidence high, keep playing football and I think we can qualify for the next World Cup.”
“I know you were asked yesterday if this was going to be your last game for Wales and you said you wanted at least another one…” was as far as the BBC reporter got. Bale, clearly irritated by the question, walked away from the scene of the questions.
Afterwards, Wales caretaker manager Rob Page said Bale was disappointed about the result. He also slammed the line of questioning taken by the reporter.
“Like any other player in the changing room right now, he is disappointed,” Page told the post-match news conference.
“Why would he want to answer a question about his future? For me it’s an insensitive question. What is the point of asking that when he’s just come off the pitch after a defeat?
“Emotions are raw, so he’s done the right thing by walking away and gathering his thoughts.”
Bale also spoke about what he felt was questionable refereeing and of how he was proud of the squad for putting in the showing they did.
“If you play the ball through the back of someone it’s a foul. I think the referee (German Daniel Siebert) might have been influenced by the crowd,” he said.
“It’s not how we wanted the game to go. We conceded a goal and the game changed a bit. We came out second half and conceded which killed the momentum on our part,” added Bale.
“The boys are angry and frustrated but I’d rather we went out kicking and screaming than laying off and doing nothing.
“We missed an opportunity but what we can’t fault is the effort and that’s the minimum requirement from the squad.”
Kasper Dolberg became the first Denmark player to score twice in a European Championship game since 2012 as Denmark beat Wales 4-0.
Mikkel Damsgaard laid the ball off for the former Ajax footballer on the edge of the box and to the left of the goal. The Nice striker took a couple of touches before engineering a shooting opportunity to let fly a beautiful curling effort into the far corner.
Dolberg scored from his first shot in the ongoing edition. That too against an opposition that had kept nine clean sheets in their last 13 competitive matches. Wales had further conceded more than one goal in only three of their previous 23 international fixtures.
Dolberg made it four matches out of a total of 24 early in the second half. He put the tie to bed with a fantastic effort. Martin Braithwaite ran down the right before delivering a low pass into the box.
Wales sub Neco Williams attempted to clear but could only direct it as far as the Nice forward. Dolberg took a touch with his left foot, before smashing a right-footed strike underneath the Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward.
Denmark continued to push for further goals despite the two-goal advantage, denying the opposition an opportunity to hit back.
The intensity paid off in the 88th minute as full-back Joakim Maehle scored the third goal for the Dales, followed by a fine goal from Braithwaite.
Denmark have reached the quarter-finals in any edition of the Euros, for the first time since 2004 following the 4-0 win. Wales and Gareth Bale, meanwhile, will have to wait for international glory.
