Zidane: It all started with Victor
On Sunday night, Zinedine Zidane will have fond memories of the time he saluted Victor Sanchez, the coach against whom he made his LaLiga debut.
January 9, 2016, was the date when Real Madrid played against Deportivo La Coruna, their first official test under the French boss after Rafa Benitez had been relieved of his duties due to poor results.
The 1998 World Cup winner initiated the challenging task of righting Los Blancos' ship with a convincing 5-0 victory.
Fourteen months later, Zidane has led Madrid to three titles and has consolidated his status as a top flight coach.
Now at the helm of Real Betis, Sanchez has nothing but kind words for his counterpart.
"[Zidane] has collected sensational results at a club that demands excellence," he said.
"He deserves all my respect for how well he's handling it."
The presence of the ex-Deportivo coach will probably be a spark for Zidane, who aims to replicate a superb run that started 14 months ago.