Perez’s media influence weakens

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale encourages Cristiano Ronaldo after he missed a goalscoring opportunity during the La Liga game against Malaga at the Bernabeu. Right: Barca coach Gerardo Martino’s in his fashionable light green polo shirt. Pic: Getty

International week is generally a quiet sales time for the Spanish sports press, with less of the usual ‘morbo’ rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona to report on.

Which is maybe why Marca went big with a claim last weekend that Madrid president Florentino Perez knew Gareth Bale was seriously injured when his world record transfer was completed in August.