Speaking to The Athletic in Manhattan during the World Cup, the retired Wales international drew on his experience of working under both Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti to frame what the returning manager's task at the Bernabéu will actually look like.
"At a big club like Madrid, you don't need to really coach," Bale said. "You need to manage egos. That's why he has been so successful at the biggest clubs."
Real Madrid ended last season without a trophy, beaten to the LaLiga title by Barcelona, eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals and embarrassed by second-division Albacete in the Copa del Rey last sixteen. An altercation between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde after training added to the sense of a group lacking direction.
Mourinho, who signed a three-year contract last month on his return to the club thirteen years after his first spell, inherits that fragile environment. Bale played under him on loan at Tottenham Hotspur in 2020-21 and believes the 63-year-old's instincts are well-suited to the challenge.
"He just pushes you to get the best out of you," Bale said. "He'll try and figure each player out and find whatever it takes to make them tick. Sometimes it might be putting someone under pressure through the media, sometimes it might be just putting an arm around them. José has been at Madrid, he understands the dynamic and knows how things work. He'll be putting a plan together to make that work."
Bale was equally warm about his predecessor Ancelotti, the Italian who oversaw some of Madrid's most successful recent years before leaving for the Brazil national team job.
"Carlo was a great people manager. He understands the psychology and the pressures that come with it. He creates a relationship with you where you feel like he really cares. Sometimes players aren't playing, but he knows how to keep them motivated and on his side."
Comparing life in the Spanish capital to his final playing days at Los Angeles FC gave Bale a useful frame of reference.
"In the United States there is no relegation, no consequences for losing. At Real Madrid, if you lose a game, it is like the end of the world."
Mourinho's record during his first Madrid stint, between 2010 and 2013, included 126 wins from 174 matches and a 72.4% win percentage — the highest he has recorded at any club he has managed.
Bale made 258 appearances for Madrid across all competitions, scoring 106 goals and contributing 57 assists while winning sixteen major trophies including five Champions League titles and three LaLiga crowns.