Former Wales star, Gareth Bale, has suggested that Xabi Alonso’s struggles with managing player egos were the reason behind his short tenure as Real Madrid head coach.
Alonso recently parted ways with the Spanish giants after just seven months in charge.
He will be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa, who has been in charge of Real Madrid’s B team since June 2025 and has spent the last six years working within the club’s academy setup.
Speaking to TNT, Bale praised Alonso as an exceptional coach but highlighted his inability to handle the dressing room dynamics at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“He’s an incredible coach,” Bale said. “He’s won everything he’s won at Bayer Leverkusen, he’s won trophies, he’s coached the team incredibly well.
“But when you arrive at Real Madrid, you don’t need to be a coach, you need to be a manager. You need to manage the egos in the dressing room.
“You have to manage egos. You don’t need to do so many tactical things.
“In the dressing room, there are superstars who can change games in the blink of an eye. So, yes, you can tell he’s a great coach and tactician, but at Real Madrid, obviously, it didn’t work.”
