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'Zidane won three Champions Leagues - I hope Solari can do that well!' - Panucci

The Argentine has emulated Zizou in stepping up from Castilla to Madrid's seniors, although recreating his success will be a tough task

Former Real Madrid defender Christian Panucci hopes that new coach Santiago Solari will achieve as much as Zinedine Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu - while recognising that he faces an uphill task.

Solari, who played with Zidane in Madrid colours during the club's famous Galactico era, was confirmed officially as Julen Lopetegui's replacement after an impressive run of results as caretaker following his predecessor's sacking.

The Argentine had no prior experience of coaching at senior level, having worked his way up post-retirement from Madrid's youth divisions to the post of head coach of the Castilla feeder team.