Mansion Sports – Last week, Xabi Alonso officially brought an end to a disappointing seven-month spell as head coach of Real Madrid.

Following a defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, he reached a mutual agreement with club management to terminate his contract with immediate effect, and the position was promptly filled by Alvaro Arbeloa as his replacement.

Alonso’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen last summer had initially been met with very high expectations.

However, those expectations ultimately failed to materialize. The 44-year-old coach was reported to have identified the strong influence of the players as one of the main reasons for his inability to carry out his managerial role effectively.

Several star players were also reported to have voiced dissatisfaction with his approach and performance during his time at the club.

Gareth Bale’s View on Alonso’s Approach

Former Real Madrid player Gareth Bale believes that Xabi Alonso placed too much emphasis on tactical aspects and paid insufficient attention to player management during his tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu, as quoted from TNT Sports via Marca.

According to Bale, Alonso is an outstanding coach. He emphasized that Alonso has proven his quality at Bayer Leverkusen by winning various trophies and demonstrating an excellent ability to coach a team.

However, Bale assessed that when managing Real Madrid, the primary role is not merely to be a coach, but to be a manager capable of handling the egos of players in the dressing room.

He added that in an environment like Real Madrid, a coach must be able to maintain and embrace the egos of star players.

Overly complex tactical approaches are not always required, because the dressing room is filled with world-class players who can change the course of a match in an instant.

Therefore, although Alonso is recognized as a great coach and tactician, this approach was considered ineffective at Real Madrid.

His Time at Real Madrid as a Lesson for Alonso

It cannot be denied that the position of Real Madrid head coach is one of the most difficult jobs in world football, with very unique characteristics.

The role often demands a greater ability to manage players rather than merely devising playing strategies.

This experience is believed to be a valuable lesson for Xabi Alonso, and if he is able to learn from it, the opportunity to return to the Santiago Bernabeu in the future remains open.