Gareth Bale: "I Wasn't Surprised by Alonso's Sacking... Real Madrid Want a Big Coach, Not a Tactical Genius"

Former Welsh star Gareth Bale has revealed his personal view on Xabi Alonso's dismissal from coaching Real Madrid, confirming he was not surprised by the decision.

Bale stated in an interview with "The Overlap" podcast: "I wasn't surprised by Xabi Alonso's sacking. At Real Madrid, if you care too much about your work, the players won't want you. All you need is to be a big coach, not necessarily a tactical genius."

Bale added that the nature of the Royal Club requires the coach to possess great skill in managing stars and the dressing room, considering that tactical superiority alone is not enough to achieve success. He cited the successes of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, who relied on simplicity and social intelligence.

Real Madrid had decided to terminate their relationship with Xabi Alonso less than a year after he took charge of the first team, immediately following their 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah. Álvaro Arbeloa was subsequently appointed as his successor.