Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane reflected on a dream triumph after his side won the Champions League in a tense final against Atletico Madrid on penalties in Milan.
Just five months after taking over from the sacked Rafael Benitez, the 43-year-old became the first Frenchman to win the title as a head coach and only the seventh man ever to win it as a player and boss after a 5-3 win in the shoot-out followed a 1-1 draw.
Zidane revealed the success had made him feel as proud as former Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti had told him such a triumph would.
He said: "I dreamed this, yes. When president gave me opportunity to coach this great club, I knew we could achieve something big.
"It's huge! Ancelotti told me he hoped I would be able to lift the trophy as a head coach. He told me 'If you have a chance of winning as coach, you'll see it feels nothing like winning the final as a player' and he was right — it's a massive joy.
"What I've brought is my positive attitude. We have quality, but hard work is even more important — and we've all worked
"When you achieve what we've achieved all season it means you've done well, that the messages have got through, that the players have followed me and that I've followed them. That's how we've managed to win this Champions League.
"I have now won Champions League as player, assistant and now head coach — what can I say? I am very proud to be part of this great club for a long time now.
"When you have players of this calibre, with this talent, you can achieve something big like we have.
"When you win something as big as the Champions League, it means a lot — for the players and the technical staff. I'm very happy for everything we've achieved together. It's not easy at all."
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