Gareth Bale discussed Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid exit on ‘TNT Sports’, asserting that managing the dressing room’s egos, not tactics, is key for the club’s coach.
Real Madrid are back in action after their victory against Monaco, but the dismissal of Xabi Alonso remains a talking point. Former ‘BBC’ trident member Gareth Bale rubbed salt in the wound, claiming his former teammate failed to give the current squad what it needed.
Bale, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner under Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, clearly understands the club’s dynamics. These two coaches presented a stark contrast to the Basque’s daily approach. The Welshman discussed Xabi’s departure on ‘TNT Sports’, where he worked as a pundit for Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
“Obviously, Xabi is an incredible coach. What he achieved at Bayer Leverkusen, the titles he won… he managed that team incredibly well, but at Real Madrid, you don’t need to be a coach; you need to be a manager,” Bale asserted.
“You have to manage the egos in the dressing room. You need to massage those egos. You don’t require as much tactical acumen because you have superstars in the squad who can change a game in the blink of an eye. He’s clearly a great coach, but that approach simply doesn’t work at Real Madrid,” he added.
