Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he will not revel too much in his side's Champions League win, because he knows how failure could be just around the corner.
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Ancelotti, 54, led the Merengues to their long-awaited Decima -- a 10th European Cup triumph -- thanks to a 4-1 extra-time victory over Atletico Madrid in Lisbon on Saturday evening.
He received congratulations from Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, among others, but while setting his sights on a prolonged period of success, similar to in the 1990s, he admitted at the same time that things can change quickly at a club like Real.
"Records are certainly nice, but the reality is different," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It's not like any statistics like this can guarantee you anything in the future. When next season starts, if we lose two games, I'm already an idiot. That's why I'm not getting carried away."
Nevertheless, the Italian coach is going to enjoy the moment while it lasts having equalled Bob Paisley's record of three European Cup triumphs as coach, and earning himself an indelible chapter in Real Madrid's glorious history.
"I'm aware of [the record]," he said. "Just as I'm aware that this victory could be the start of another glorious era.
"This team has only just started winning and it's full of youngsters, talented players with lots of hunger. When I signed for Madrid, I knew full well that the Champions League was the primary objective for the season. For us, just like everybody else at the highest level, the league comes second. But with the story of the Decima, it was worth even more here."
It was also worth a lot to Italy too -- starved of success with its own clubs, but delighted to rejoice in Ancelotti's success. The former AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach received a call from Renzi on Sunday morning.
"He complimented me and told me that Italy is proud of my achievement," Ancelotti said. "It was very nice of him."
Ancelotti paid his own compliments for Sergio Ramos, whose last-gasp goal earned Real extra time and saved them from the brink of defeat.
"Have you seen his second half of the season?" Ancelotti said. "It was incredible. I had problems with him to start with, but after Christmas, he came back a different player. I don't know where he went on his holidays, but they certainly did him good."