The Zidane myth, destroyed by Gareth Bale. The coach who won the Champions League three times with Real “wasn't doing anything anymore”

One of the greatest Welsh players in history, Gareth Bale made a series of revelations from the dressing room of Real Madrid, the club where he played for 8 years. The Brit told how the training sessions went under the command of Zinedine Zidane, how he got along with Cristiano Ronaldo, but also who was the head of the “Galacticos” locker room.

Zinedine Zidane brought the Champions League to Madrid three times. Photo Getty images

Zinedine Zidane won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 3 seasons in a row, after which he retired in glory and did not accept another contract for 5 years. However, the myth of the Frenchman was dispelled by Gareth Bale, on The Overlap podcast, hosted by Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Jill Scott, Roy Keane and Ian Wright. “We didn't do a lot of tactical training. When you look at the team at that time, you could tell that almost everyone was the best in that position, with one or two exceptions. It's like: it should come naturally. If you're good players, you should be able to play well together. And obviously, being a good player, you know what others can do and what they can't do.

Tactics, only in big matches

Zidane wasn't doing much. It was simply the team… Most of the tactics I used to prepare were when you knew there was a game coming up against Barcelona or Bayern; then you were doing a little tactic. Otherwise, there was something minimal, just the usual training: possession game, small goals, finish a game, shots on goal and go. And before the big games, you'd do 15 minutes of tactics on the defensive set-up rather than the attack, and that was it.

Zizou only coached Real Madrid in his career. In the 2013/2014 season he was second in the senior team, between 2014 and 2016 he was in the B team of the club, then he coached the seniors as the main, in two terms, 2016-2018 and 2019-2021

He was messing around, yes (no coach Zinedine Zidane). God, he “sicked” me a few times! He was second in my first season with Carlo (no Ancelotti). He was coming into the game more then, he was a little younger and… just… that touch… His legs were like spaghetti and gelatin combined, and the ball obeyed him. He was obviously a little slower, but he didn't look out of place on the field at all. His main asset was the respect he exuded through the prism of what he had been as a player; people respected that and fired hard.

Carlo Ancelotti held everyone together

But Carlo, in terms of man management, was the best. When he needed you, he only told you: “You have to be ready”. And you were just ready. He had this one amazing ability to keep everyone united, happy and willing to give it their all on the field. At Madrid you don't need to be a great strategist, you just need to know how to manage this group of players and let them do what they do best. Of course, there are some tactical aspects that he applies, but there aren't that many, nor do they need to be.”

Carlo Ancelotti won the Champions League three times with Real, in 2014, 2022 and 2024. Zinedine Zidane did it in 2016, 2017 and 2018

Then referring to him, Gareth Bale admitted that he could do more at Real Madrid, but his way of being took away his shine. He admits:
“A lot of players go to Real Madrid and get all this fascination. I was never like that; I just wanted to go there, play football and come home. Clearly, it wasn't enough. I never wanted to do interviews, although sometimes I had to. I never wanted this kind of… circus that comes with being a player. I just wanted to play football, go home and be with my family.

Stubbornness did not make him shine

It's probably not enough for the fans, who want to know you, they want to see your personality, they want that dose of ego. I was never like that. I was very stubborn, I refused to change. There were other things that I stubbornly held on to, and if I had played this game a little better, I probably would have been targeted less by the media and the fans. But I stayed true to myself, I didn't change, and in a way I'm proud of that.”Gareth Bale also said.

Gareth Bale, transferred by Real Madrid for 100 million euros. Photo EPA EFE

The former Welsh international, now 36 years old, also revealed the relationships between the big stars of Real Madrid. “In general, everyone got along very well in the dressing room. I never had any problems, I got on great with Karim (no Benzema). He was very quiet and hung out more with Varane, they were the French boys. He was the type to go about his business, but we didn't have any fights, no misunderstandings. We played well together; me and Cristiano (no Ronaldo) were on the flanks, probably with a bit more show. He was the one who connected everything, the focal point. Everything it seemed to work very well together.

Regarding Cristiano, there were a few moments when I saw him waving his arms nervously because I had missed with the goalkeeper myself and maybe I could have passed him. But that's his ambition, his motivation, he just wants to score. Not just one goal, but three, four, five a game, if possible,” stated the Welshman, who added that Sergio Ramos was the leader of the dressing room: “Cristiano had his ego and he was a leader in his own way, through the lens of the player he is, but in terms of the leader of the team, that was clearly Ramos.”