Barcelona’s Fabregas reveals why the Welshman is not coping at the Bernabeu.
Since arriving at Real Madrid for a world record £85.3m this summer, Gareth Bale has failed to cope with the pressure according to Barcelona and former Arsenal ace Cesc Fabregas.
The Spain international knows what it takes to succeed in La Liga after earning a reputation in England, although the midfielder did have the advantage of coming from Catalonia.
Bale scored on the Welshman’s debut against Villarreal, but has since struggled with injuries and form and Fabregas thinks the price-tag is weighing heavy on the 24-year-old’s shoulders.
“He’s got a lot of pressure,” the Spaniard was quoted by the Sun.
“€100m [£85.3m] is massive but I think great players are great players. He will overcome this and I’m sure he will.
“I haven’t spoken to him so I don’t know how he feels. You need to adapt when you come to this kind of League.
“It is completely different to the Premier League. You don’t get many spaces when you get the ball.
“Tactically this league is much better than the English one so he needs time.”
Both men played in the first El Clasico of the season between Barca and Madrid at the Nou Camp on Saturday, with the hosts winning 2-1 through goals from Neymar and Alexis Sanchez.
Bale was criticised by the Spanish media after the match and played a little over an hour in the game before head coach Carlo Ancelotti replaced the winger with Karim Benzema.
If the Wales international needs any inspiration of coping with a world record transfer fee, the attacker need look no further than team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo – the previous holder of the title who has excelled at the Santiago Bernabeu since moving to the club in 2009.
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