Gareth Bale SNUBS Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane in The Best FIFA coach voting

Tottenham Hotspur superstar Gareth Bale has had a tumultuous relationship with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane during his time in the Spanish capital. The Welshman was restricted to the bench for a major part of the previous season amid a shaky relationship between the two. Despite Bale securing a loan deal to Tottenham, there seems to be no improvement in the association between the two as he avoided voting for the Blancos manager in The Best FIFA Coach 2020 category. 

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Bale does not vote for Zidane in The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020

Zidane guided Real Madrid to LaLiga glory last season and was subsequently included in the shortlist for The Best FIFA Coach 2020 award. But the French legend could not make it to the top three occupied by the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Marcelo Bielsa and Hansi Flick who had edged past the Real Madrid boss. 

National team captains and coaches are eligible to vote for various categories of the Best FIFA Football Awards 2020. Bale, by virtue of being the Wales national team captain, also put down his preferences. The conflict between Bale and Zidane was again on display when the Spurs winger did not vote for his former manager. 

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Flick. Klopp. Lopetegui. In that order 

Interestingly, Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick was Bale's preferred choice. The Bavarian manager guided his side to a historic treble last season. Jurgen Klopp, the architect behind Liverpool's maiden Premier League title, came in second, while Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui finished third in Bale's voting, having clinched the Europa League last season. 

The voting for The Best FIFA Coach award turned out to be an interesting take, with Flick and Klopp receiving equal points, 24. However, Klopp was ultimately picked as the best of them after factoring in the most votes from national team coaches. Meanwhile, Zidane claimed the fourth spot with nine points to his credit. 

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Bale to return to Real Madrid?

The conflict between Bale and Zidane does not seem to end anytime soon. Spanish media publication AS claims that the Welshman is keen on returning to Real Madrid at the end of his loan deal next summer. However, he will mark his return only if the manager is sacked by the defending LaLiga champions. 

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Image courtesy: Spurs Twitter, Real Madrid Instagram