Courtois tells Bale: Don’t go to bed early when you can socialise with your team-mates

By Alasdair Mackenzie
published

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has criticised Gareth Bale’s efforts to settle in in Spain after revealing that the Wales winger recently preferred an early night to a meal with his team-mates.

Gareth Bale

Last week, former Madrid manager John Toshack told Bale that he should learn to speak Spanish out of respect for the club’s fans, and Courtois has now added a further dig.

The 29-year-old joined the Merengues from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013, while Courtois arrived from Chelsea last August, but the Belgian had words of advice for Bale.

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Alasdair Mackenzie

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.