Lorenzo Sanz passed away on Saturday after being hospitalised with Coronavirus and Michel has indicated that the former Real Madrid president inspired the club to further European success.

With Sanz in charge of the club, Los Blancos won their seventh and eighth Champions League trophies in 1998 and 2000, respectively.

“It seems that football at Real Madrid only exists today, but Lorenzo Sanz won two Champions Leagues and laid the foundations for the next Real Madrid [teams],” Michel told Radio MARCA.

“In our country, it seems that a president has to die for one to take history into account.”

Michel, who is currently in charge of the Mexican side Club Universidad Nacional, discussed how the Coronavirus outbreak is being dealt with both in Mexico and Spain.

“I think the Mexican Government haven’t realised the situation we are experiencing or at least they do not want to say it,” Michel added.

“In Spain it’s a drama but I don’t even want to imagine how it can be here.

“I think the Spanish people are capable of demonstrating to the world that we can overcome this.”