Watch: 'Sack Bale' TV host's astonishing tirade at Wales talisman

As Wales continues to bask in Gareth Bale’s majestic performance in yesterdays World Cup play off win over Austria, the reaction to the Welsh icon in the Spanish press has taken a decidedly dark turn.

Despite helping Real Madrid to 14 trophies, the Spanish paper Marca lunched a sickening attack on Bale yesterday, calling him a parasite and accusing him of “sucking up the club’s money”.

Not to be outdone, guests on the late-night discussion show El Chiringuito piled in on the skipper after his stunning two-goal performance against Austria last night.

In an astonishing attack, pundits on the show accused Bale of "stamping on the club" and called for Real Madrid to immediately fire him.

One of the journalists in the studio added, “he (Bale) is going to carry on lacking respect for the badge and the institution” if he isn't fired.

https://twitter.com/ElChiringuitoEN/status/1507297068905291783?s=20&t=hf1VsaxMphMCobs0_gLEYw

Earlier today Bale spoke out on the impact of “derogatory” journalism on sports stars’ mental health after Marca’s attack.

In a message on social media, Bale  said that the “everyday pressures on athletes is immense” and said the Marca article was “slanderous, derogatory and speculative”.

“At a time where people are taking their own lives because of the callousness and relentlessness of the media, I want to know, who is holding these journalists and the news outlets that allow them to write articles like this, accountable?” he asked.

“Fortunately I have developed a thick skin during my time in the public spotlight, but that doesn’t mean articles like these don’t cause damage and upset personally and professionally to those at the receiving end of these malicious stories.

“I have witnessed the toll the media can take on peoples mental and physical health.

“The media expect superhuman performances from professional athletes, and will be the first to celebrate with them when they deliver, yet instead of commiserating with them when they show an ounce of human error, they are torn to shreds instead, encouraging anger and disappointment in their fans.

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Pressure

“The everyday pressures on athletes is immense, and It’s as clear as day, how negative media attention could easily send an already stressed athlete, or anybody in the public eye, over the edge.

“I hope that by the time our children are of an age where they are able to ingest news, that journalism ethics and standards will have been enforced more stringently.

“So I want to use my platform to encourage change in the way we publicly talk about, and criticise people, simply for the most part, not meeting the often unrealistic expectations that are projected onto them.

“We all know who the real Parasite is!”