Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claims Louis van Gaal put himself under pressure to achieve success due to his abrasive style.
Van Gaal was sacked on Sunday, a day after a 1-1 draw at Nurnberg - a result which further dented Bayern's hopes of playing in next season's Champions League - just under five weeks after it was announced he would be leaving at the end of the season.
The club have put Van Gaal's assistant Andries Jonker in temporary charge for the remaining five games, with Jupp Heynckes already signed up to take over on a permanent basis in the summer.
Rummenigge remains a fan of Van Gaal but believes the Dutchman contributed to his own downfall.
He told Bild: "If you adopt that style of management, just like (Felix) Magath, you have to have success.
"If you fail then you lose friends. And a look at the table and our record in other competitions is sobering."
Bayern, who won the domestic double under Van Gaal last season, lost in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal to Schalke while they are 14 points behind Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.
They exited the Champions League to Inter Milan at the last 16 stage and are not guaranteed to return to Europe's top table next season as they currently sit in fourth, a position which would see them play in the Europa League.
It has been a disappointing few months for the Bavarian giants but Rummenigge refused to accept the club should have dispensed with Van Gaal last month.
He added: "I am not sure.
"We really wanted to play the season out with Van Gaal but with qualification for the Champions League at risk, we had to act."
