Fernando Hierro has never said too much, nor too little. Neither did he ever raise his voice when he ever spoke. Not even during those first years when there was no role for him at the club. Not even during his time as the RFEF's sporting director, or even when he doubled up as a club executive – firefighting at Malaga.

He even steered clear of speaking publicly about Real Madrid in case his words or actions were taken out of context. He preferred to stay away from events held at the stadium – except veteran games, wherever they were played -, as well as chats or interviews which involved the club. He didn't want any misunderstandings. Fernando Hierro always dreamed of getting the news he received on Thursday: his return to Real Madrid. He had a very clear plan, which he repeated over and over, irrespective of who was president: Florentino Pérez – twice -, Ramón Calderón or Vicente Boluda. Under all three presidents, the media announced more than once that he was making his Bernabéu return.

Fernando thought about it with a wry smile on his face. Meanwhile, he continued his education: coaching courses, sporting director, working alongside several different FIFA and UEFA technical committees, and insisting: "I'll never return to Real Madrid just for the sake of going back. Not just to 'make up the numbers', as Alfredo Di Stefano said back in the day. I'll only go back when I have a specific purpose, a job to do". His time has come.