Zinedine Zidane lavished praise on Pep Guardiola after Real Madrid were drawn against the ex-Barcelona coach's Manchester City side in the Champions League.
Two presumed contenders will square off in a highly-anticipated last-16 tie, with the first leg to be held at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 26.
Guardiola welcomed the challenge, saying it would be "special" to share a touchline with Zidane, a man he "dreamed" of playing alongside.
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The Frenchman returned the favour ahead of Madrid's La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao, going so far as to call Guardiola the world's leading coach.