During summer 1996, Petković returned from the loan spell in Sevilla. The Real squad that he returned to was radically different from the one he left six months earlier: starting with new head coach Fabio Capello over to attack-minded left back Roberto Carlos from Inter Milan, right back Christian Panucci from AC Milan, attacking midfielder Clarence Seedorf from Sampdoria right down to the all new forward line with Petković's former teammate Šuker from Sevilla, and fellow Yugoslav Predrag Mijatović from Valencia.