Madrid, Aug 9 Former Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon has said that it was "sad" to see Welshman Gareth Bale in the stands for the La Liga champions' matches in the Champions League.
Real manager Zinedine Zidane didn't include Bale in his Champions League squad and he has been pretty much absent from their La Liga campaign for most of the year.
"The coach does not rely on him," Calderon, who signed the club's all-time highest goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo during his three-year spell as Real President, was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
"If Zidane stays with Real, which I think is certain, then he (Bale) will have to find a new way. Apparently he (Zidane) got what he wanted at the end of the season. He said La Liga was the main objective. I am sure he will continue so there is no place unfortunately for Gareth Bale. The problem is he has two more years' contract. It's sad to see him wasting his time because he is still for sure fit and in good shape," he said.
Bale, who is currently Real's record signing, earns a reported 600,000 pounds a week and this mammoth salary has been the biggest obstacle for him to move out of Santiago Bernabeu.
"It's very sad. It's a pity to see a player like him in the stands. I think his skill and talent has not gone, he is still a good player who could be playing at a high level in any team in the world.
"Therefore I think they will have to find a solution to end this agony for the sake of both sides. If he doesn't want to reduce his salary, which would be understandable, they will have to find another way to finish this situation," Calderon said.
( With inputs from IANS )