Schuster steps into Madrid vacancy

Welcome return
The 47-year-old had long been linked with a return to the club where he made 62 appearances as a player, scoring 13 goals between 1988 and 1990. "The Bernabéu is not a new home for me as I had the good fortune to play two seasons here," he said. "From the very first moment you begin managing you have a dream of triumphing with a big team and if there are three or four big teams in the world then Real Madrid are certainly one of them. I'm sure things are going to go perfectly."

Well travelled
Madrid will be Schuster's seventh club as a manager after two years in charge at Getafe; his last match with the club was the Copa del Rey final defeat by Sevilla FC last month, a game that took place at the Santiago Bernabéu. The former German international began his coaching career with SC Fortuna Köln a decade ago and has since had spells with 1. FC Köln, Xerez CD, FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Levante UD, whom he left for Getafe in 2005.

Spanish successes
Schuster moved into coaching after a successful playing career, having helped West Germany to victory in the 1980 UEFA European Championship, a feat that won him a move to FC Barcelona that summer. He may have retired from international football four years later having won just 21 caps but Schuster proved a considerable success in Spain, scoring 63 goals in 170 appearances during an eight-year spell at Camp Nou, before his two seasons with Madrid and three years at Club Atlético de Madrid.