Clarence Seedorf stuns his Deportivo subs bench with flawless first touch from technical area during Athletic Bilbao win
Dutch legend proved to be classiest player in San Mames with sublime control after Fabian Schar booted ball out of play
CLARENCE SEEDORF wowed his Deportivo subs bench with an impeccable first touch from the technical area during Saturday's win over Athletic Bilbao.
The Dutchman was watching on from the touchline when defender Fabian Schar booted the ball into the clouds and out of play.
And as it hurtled towards the ground, Deportivo boss Seedorf - stood in a black suit with trainers on and his arms folded - effortlessly trapped it with his foot.
Sub Zakaria Bakkali watches on shocked while back-up keeper Maksym Koval laughs at his boss' brilliance.
Four-time Champions League winner Seedorf, 42, does not even crack a smile after proving to have the best touch in the San Mames, until Borja Valle grabs his attention and forces a smug grin.
Seedorf would have beaming at full-time as a first-half Adrian Lopez double and second-half goal from Valle were enough to overcome strikes from Raul Garcia and Markel Susaeta.
The much-needed win gave Deportivo a glimmer of survival hope, with 17th-placed Levante now just five points clear following their defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Seedorf was appointed Deportivo manager in February and tasked with keeping the club in La Liga.
He faces Sevilla next, who may be tempted to rest players for their Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on Saturday.
But Seedorf expects an even sterner test because of that chance of silverware.
He said: "I expect Sevilla to be at their best because when you play in a final, it's always better to win the game before.
"We have won two matches in a row but we are calm, nobody is getting ahead of themselves and we now are focused solely on Sevilla, who will come to win.
"The gap between our games is too small, it is not good to be playing twice in the space of 72 hours because footballers need to be in a position to recover.
"On the other hand, we must prepare fully tactically and ensure we have the best possible chance of winning."
Dutch legend Seedorf began his coaching career at former club AC Milan before moving to Chinese side Shenzhen and Deportivo.