BBC labelled 'hooligans' who are 'all about drama' by Spanish paper Marca over article on Real Madrid star Gareth Bale

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Spanish newspaper Marca has criticised the BBC over an article that claimed the publication had launched 'a vicious attack' on Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale.

The BBC published an article last week with the headline 'Gareth Bale: The 'Lazy loner' under fire at Real Madrid' which alleged Marca had been overly critical of Bale as a way of attacking Real club president Florentino Perez.

Marca has reacted furiously, defending its coverage of Bale and hitting out at the BBC in an article entitled 'Hooligans on the BBC'.

Gareth Bale was the subject of an article on the BBC entitled: 'The 'Lazy loner' under fire at Real Madrid'

The article alleged Marca had been critical of Bale as a way of attacking club president Florentino Perez

'For the record, Marca does not engage in campaigns; it informs readers. Rigorously,' it read.

'Something that apparently can no longer be said of the BBC who, like ITV, seem now to be all about drama.'

Marca disputed the BBC's claim that Bale had been placed in the middle of 'an ugly power struggle between club president Florentino Perez and the country's most influential sports newspaper, Marca'.

Marca defending its coverage of Bale and hitting out at the BBC in an article entitled 'Hooligans on the BBC'

The Welsh forward responded to his critics by scoring both goals in Real's 2-0 win over Levante on Sunday

Marca's statement continued: 'These comments are wholly unfounded and unjust - all the information published (in Marca) about Bale had been duly sourced and corroborated - but they also twisted things out of context.

'This is because the analysis of Bale featured in (the BBC) piece was just one part of some 20 pages of coverage over two days last week looking at Real Madrid's struggles, in which other individuals and problems related to the team as a whole were discussed at length.'

A BBC spokesperson said: 'We stand by the original story written by our Spanish football writer, Andy West, and it's difficult to see the relevance of some of the comments in the responding Marca article.'

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