Gareth Bale has advised Lionel Messi to not get too down if he drops a few games in MLS because in his eyes, there really are no consequences for losing in the league anyway.
Messi’s hugely anticipated move to Inter Miami is set to be sealed in the coming days, with the former Barcelona star following in the footsteps of ex-Real Madrid star Bale.
After spending only a half season in MLS with LAFC, Bale retired this winter following the World Cup. Bale did not see the field much in MLS as he struggled with injuries, but came through with a dramatic 128th-minute header to tie MLS Cup in a game LAFC would eventually win on penalties.
In an interview with BT Sport, Bale compared the life-or-death nature of every game at Real Madrid with what he described as the “chilled” vibe in MLS.
“It is a lot more chilled,” he said. “If you lose at [Real] Madrid, it is like the world has ended. You are crucified. You feel down. You go home and you’re not happy.
“They accept losing a bit more. There is no consequence. You can’t get relegated over there. When you lose a game you go on to the next one. They accept losing a lot better over there. They know how to lose but they celebrate every win like you have won the championship. He will definitely enjoy it.”
"It's a lot more chilled… if you lose at [Real] Madrid, it's like the world's ended, you get crucified."
Gareth Bale lifts the lid on the mentality towards football in MLS, after Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami 🌴 pic.twitter.com/946QbMbRZK
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) June 21, 2023
Longtime MLS defender A.J. DeLaGarza took umbrage with Bale’s remarks, noting that comparing Real Madrid to LAFC is not exactly apples to apples.
Cmon man. Ask our wives, our children, our parents, our friends how fun it was being around us after we lose games in MLS. We also don’t have one of the highest payrolls in the entire football world. https://t.co/CAgbrPuCLo
— AJ DeLaGarza (@AJD_20) June 21, 2023
Bale has a point though, too: MLS teams don’t have the consequence of relegation, and 62 percent of the league’s teams will make the playoffs this season. But he is also a rich and famous global superstar who won MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield in his eight-month stay in the league. Perhaps Bale is not exactly the authority on what the consequence of failure in MLS really could be.
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