Gareth Bale hits back after scathing Spanish media call him a 'parasite'

Bale hit back at "malicious" criticism from Spanish media on Friday, saying an article in Madrid-based paper Marca was a "piece of slanderous, derogatory and speculative journalism". Marca called the Welsh captain a "parasite" and accused him of faking a back injury that kept him out of Real Madrid's humiliating loss to Barcelona at the weekend, four days before he scored both goals in Wales's win over Austria in their World Cup playoff game.

"At a time where people are taking their own lives because of the callousness and relentless 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?" Bale asked in a statement on his social media accounts. "Fortunately I have developed a thick skin but that doesn't mean articles like these don't cause damage and upset those at the receiving end of these malicious stories." Bale helped Wales to beat Austria 2-1 on Thursday to put them into a playoff final, against Scotland or Ukraine, for a place in the World Cup finals in Qatar later this year in what would be their first appearance at the tournament since 1958. The 32-year-old Bale has played only a handful of games at Real Madrid this season and Spanish media criticised him for missing their 4-0 home loss in the Clasico on Sunday with an apparent back injury. Marca ran a headline on Friday calling Bale "The Welsh parasite" and columnist Manuel Julia criticised his work ethic at Real. "He settled in Spain, at Real Madrid, where he sucks the blood (and the euros) of his host without giving anything in return. Unlike others of its kind, such as the flea, the louse or the bedbug, the Parasite Bale does not cause itching or diseases, he just laughs