win everything, but in terms of importance, yes, the European Cup was always a major target. “When I joined, I was immediately made aware of the ethos of Madrid. I was given a book – more of a pamphlet if you like – chartering the history of Real Madrid and the values of the club. It was all about winning with grace, but also being graceful in defeat. They told me, ‘At Real Madrid we do not want to win with arrogance’, and they gave me a shirt of Alfredo Di Stefano [five-time European Cup winner]. “Di Stefano was the symbol of the club, his name is always in the background. He was honorary president at that time and you see him around the stadium or his imagemanagers in history if he wins a third consecutive Champions League, but a sneering campaign has shadowed his Real Madrid reign. Only two managers, Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti, have won the European Cup three times, but not in successive years. Despite Zidane being on the threshold of unprecedented success, cynics continue to damn him with faint praise. The Frenchman is often portrayed as the fortunate recipient of an expensively assembled squad, rather than the architect of ­mesmerising performances. For those who know him, the withering assessments of his work are fed by jealousy and ignorance. “He doesn’t get enough credit. He took over a struggling, dysfunctional team,” says Steve McManaman, Zidane’s former team-mate at the start of the glorious Galactico era at the turn of the century.