Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas on Thursday bemoaned the unfolding of the Gareth Bale transfer saga but said he believed the Welshman would work his magic at Real Madrid.
'The pressure we were subjected to by the player has been intense,' Villas-Boas said after a meeting of top coaches at the Swiss headquarters of European football's governing body UEFA.
"The influence of Real Madrid has been very big and you get to a point where you have to consider if it's feasible not to accept an offer and whether you can press on with a player in that state of mind," he told reporters.
Bale was officially presented as a Madrid player on Monday, after signing from Tottenham Hotspur on a six-year contract for around £80 million ($124 million, 94 million euros).
"Obviously, we should be happy with the transfer fee that was paid," said Villas-Boas.
Bale is just the latest in a string of "galactico" signings Real president Florentino Perez has made during two spells in charge of the club, in a drive to boost their success on the field and commercial revenue off it.
Villas-Boas said he understood why the Welshman had wanted to be part of Real's hunt for new glory.
"Players want to win championships and I believe that with Gareth that is within reach," he said.
He also underlined that players had a right to develop their careers thanks to transfers.
"At the end of the day, it's up to a player to decide if he wants to stay or wants to go," he said.
Source: AFP
