Gareth Bale explains why Xabi Alonso failed at Real Madrid
(Courtesy : LaLiga content hub)
Xabi Alonso lasted only seven months as Los Blancos head coach.
Gareth Bale has identified the precise reason why Xabi Alonso’s time at Real Madrid ended in failure. The former Los Blancos star asserted that despite his tactical prowess, the Spaniard failed in one important area.
The five-time UEFA Champions League winner feels that the special strain of the Santiago Bernabeu calls for a “manager” who can manage delicate egos rather than a tactical “coach”—a subtlety that, in his opinion, proved deadly for his former colleague.
Xabi Alonso arrived with a stellar reputation after his historic achievement at Bayer Leverkusen. He was dismissed from his duties barely over a week ago. Despite winning 13 of their first 14 games under the coach, his “adventure” on the Madrid bench swiftly fell apart. It resulted in his resignation following the team’s defeat to FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final and a flurry of inquiries about what went wrong.
Gareth Bale gives one reason for Xabi Alonso’s failure at Madrid
Gareth Bale gave an honest evaluation while speaking on TNT Sports. The Welshman, who played for Real Madrid for ten trophy-filled but frequently difficult years, claimed that the skill set needed to win there is essentially different from that of practically every other team in the world of football.
“He is an incredible coach,” Bale said. “He has won what he has won at Bayer Leverkusen, he has won trophies, he has coached the team incredibly well. But when you get to 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,” Bale explained. “You have to pamper the egos.”
Xabi Alonso had an especially tense relationship with Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian was occasionally benched by the coach, which caused friction between the two.
After his violent response to being substituted against Barcelona, the forward was reportedly heard threatening to leave the team.
Gareth Bale went on to say that tactical fixation may actually work against Madrid. The Welshman believes that since there is so much elite talent, the strategy should be really straightforward: put the best players on the field and let them win.
Why Xabi Alonso failed at Madrid according to Gareth Bale?
He said that Alonso failed to managed egos at Madrid.
For how long Alonso was Madrid coach?
He managed them for seven months.
What was Alonso’s record as Madrid coach?
His record as a manager was 24W, 4D, 6L in 34 matches.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.