Manuel Pellegrini believes his chances of success at Real Madrid were undermined by the club's obsession with signing attacking talent.
The former Santiago Bernabeu boss, who was axed at the end of season as Real ended the campaign without any silverware, believes president Florentino Perez's policy was fundamentally flawed.
Pellegrini, who has been replaced by Jose Mourinho, agrees that he had some of the world's finest talent at his disposal after 250million euros was lavished in his sole season at the Bernabeu, but claims the squad was unbalanced.
"They sign the best players, but not the best players needed in a certain position," he told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio .
"It's no good having an orchestra with the 10 best guitarists if I don't have a pianist - Real Madrid have the best guitarists, but if I ask them to play the piano they won't be able to do it so well," he added.
While Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo were brought in last summer, Holland midfielders Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder were sold by incoming president Perez.
No voiceThe two went on to have hugely successful seasons with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan respectively, winning a host of trophies domestically before meeting in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of May and playing together in the World Cup final last Sunday.
And Pellegrini says the two should have been kept. "(Perez) sold players that I considered important. We had a difference of opinion with regards to the building of the squad," he said.
"We didn't win the Champions League because we didn't have a squad properly structured to be able to win it - that was my main discrepancy with Florentino Perez."
Despite ending up without a title, Pellegrini led Madrid to their most successful season ever in terms of league points, pushing champions Barcelona all the way until the last round of Primera Division matches.
Nevertheless, the former Villarreal coach believes he would have been axed even if he had managed to win the Primera Division title.
"Even if I had won the league I would have been out," he said. "I didn't have a voice or a vote."
Casillas
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Iker Casillas is impressed by the approach of new coach Mourinho ahead of their Primera Division campaign.
Spain captain Casillas lifted the World Cup just a week ago in South Africa, but his thoughts are already beginning to turn to the new domestic season.
Madrid's World Cup stars were originally due back at the club for pre-season training on 9th August, but Mourinho has decided he wants his players to return a week earlier.
"That's fine," the goalkeeper said in an interview with AS .
"I have spoken to him a couple of times and I like his way of thinking. He wants the players to come back rested and ready to work. Being world champions makes you forget about everything."
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