In June 1997, Heynckes was hired by the Spanish champions Real Madrid. His first match was a 2–1 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Real Madrid would go on to win the Super Cup after winning the second leg 4–1. Real Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 16. There, he celebrated one of his greatest triumphs, as Madrid beat Juventus 1–0 in the UEFA Champions League Final for their first European Cup victory since 1966. However, the lack of domestic success – finishing fourth, eleven points behind champions Barcelona – saw his tenure terminated at the end of the season.