Just six minutes.

My debut as manager at Real Madrid was perhaps the strangest that a manager has ever had.

It was a match against Real Sociedad that had been suspended a few weeks before because of a bomb threat at the Bernabéu with the score at 1-1. The match resumed from the 84th minute, in front of a full stadium – and Zinedine Zidane scored a penalty to secure the win.

For me, though, the whole story had begun a long time before then – and, like so many coaches, with injury. I already had my physical education qualification – I got it while I was still playing – but after playing professionally for several years, I injured my knee.

I ruptured the cruciate ligaments and I decided to quit. My recovery didn’t go that well. In those days, there weren’t the same medical resources we have today.

Straight away, I was offered the post of assistant coach to Antonio Lopes at America in Rio de Janeiro. I was there for three years and, without having planned it like that, that’s how my life as a manager started.

After that, there followed a succession of different teams, different experiences and some different successes with clubs in Brazil.

Until I got to the national team. The Seleção.