Clarence Seedorf believes Zinedine Zidane's success at Real Madrid should not be judged solely on the outcome of the Champions League final.
Zidane took over from Rafael Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu in January, mounting a concerted La Liga title charge that ultimately fell just short as Barcelona triumphed again.
But Madrid can end their season with some silverware by defeating city rivals Atletico at San Siro on Saturday.
After just five months, it is a quick turnaround in fortunes for the club, who struggled to impress during Benitez's brief reign.
But Seedorf, a four-time winner of the Champions League and the only man to do so with three different clubs, believes Zidane's performance as a head coach should be judged over a longer period of time.
"Success is only based on results for the world," he told Omnisport. "For me, success is what he will do from next year.
"I'm not going to judge him as a coach for these five months. It's great for him, he's achieved the final and improved on what the situation was.
"But I don't judge coaches just for good results, so hopefully next year he will have the possibility to start the season and we can really see the hand of Zidane."
Seedorf, who lifted the trophy with Real in 1998 after defeating Zidane's Juventus in the final in Amsterdam, believes there is little to choose between the two sides.
"It's a really balanced match. Of course I have Madrid in my heart but also I know that Atletico Madrid is a really strong team, so let's see," he said.
Clarence Seedorf was speaking for Nissan, the global automotive sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, ahead of the Champions League Final in Milan.
