While insisting Xabi remains an outstanding coach, former Real Madrid winger Bale believes he struggled to handle the egos inside the dressing room.
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"He's an incredible coach," Bale said on TNT. "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."
He affirmed: "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."