Gareth Bale’s Marca spat: the issue of defamation in sport media

Last week, a columnist for Spanish news outlet Marca published a piece taking aim at Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale. The column described Bale as a “parasite” and accused him of showing “disrespect for those he lives off”.

This is not the first time the Spanish media has targeted Bale, nor is it by any means the first time a professional footballer has been slandered by similar sources.

Many publications have been quick to criticise Marca for this very public attack on the Welsh superstar, but there is an inherent irony in these responses, with many English newspapers having published comparable content, if a little more subtle in their aggression.

The public slander of athletes has long been a problem, one we are far too familiar with here in the UK, with big-name players such as Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all suffering disgraceful treatment from English news sources.

It is often far too easy to neglect the mental and emotional health of those in the spotlight, as they are often treated as objects of entertainment rather than living people facing the same daily struggles as the rest of us. With the wide reach and impact that they have given their enormous platform, they are unfortunately permanently subject to public scrutiny and discussion.

Many athletes have spoken out about the poor treatment they have received in the media, but it seems that these efforts have so far been in vain, as we continue to see failings on the part of so-called ‘journalists’ to be sympathetic towards those who they criticise for a living.

These faults do not end with journalists, though. There is of course a worryingly great number of journalists who are paid to ruin people’s lives with their work, but regular people are just as bad, if not worse, when it comes to the disregard of professional sportspeople.

The fallout following the Euro 2020 final is evidence enough of this, with the messages targeting Rashford, Sancho and Saka highlighting the ignorance and stupidity of a minority of the general population.

What came out in Marca last week was frankly unforgivable from a journalistic perspective, and we need to do better

Bale rightly called the slander he received “disgraceful”, but he also acknowledged that it is nothing new – not for him, not for any footballer.

Naturally, discourse and writing about football, and any sport, for that matter, is rife with opinion and debate. The form and actions of players on and off the pitch will always be a matter of public discussion – that much is unavoidable. It is when this discussion borders on and creeps into derision and defamation that it becomes poisonous.

It is a tricky topic to navigate, though – where is the line officially drawn? Of course, the Bale article very clearly oversteps this, but in the case of more subtle scorn, it is difficult to restrict it in a manner that does not infringe upon free speech.

Most likely, this is not a case of imposing tighter measures and filters upon journalists and social media users. Rather, it is an ongoing effort to encourage people to acknowledge the difficult position that professional athletes occupy, and how best to sensitively navigate these awkward topics without ignoring the emotions of those involved.

What came out in Marca last week was frankly unforgivable from a journalistic perspective, and we need to do better. Ultimately, the responsibility is on those who write and those who publish to know what is acceptable, and what is not.