Miljanić initiated many innovative changes in the training methods at Real. Insisting on top physical and tactical preparation, he increased the number of daily training sessions from one to three, which initially cause an outrage. He insisted on players not having more than two touches on the ball, and had them perfect the long pass game with the entire team functioning as a precise mechanism. He also moved Pirri from his midfield role into the sweeper defensive role while the offensive movement usually converged with crosses for target forwards Santillana and new signing from Espanyol Roberto Martínez. Furthermore, Miljanić had at his disposal goalkeeper Miguel Ángel, defensive midfielder Vicente del Bosque, veteran right winger Amancio Amaro, German midfielder Günter Netzer, newly signed defenceman from Bayern Paul Breitner, and young defender from the youth system José Antonio Camacho. Despite facing fan criticism over unattractive play, Real won the league and cup double in his first season as coach while in the Cup Winners' Cup they got eliminated at the quarterfinal stage on penalties by Miljanić's former team Red Star Belgrade. The tie took place over two legs in March 1975, and Miljanić somewhat controversially decided not to travel to Belgrade for the return leg because he couldn't bear to lead the team against his former side, saying: "I can not betray my heart". Instead, he invited journalists to watch the game with him on television in Madrid. Going into the return leg Real had the 2-0 lead from the first leg, but led by Antonio Ruiz who stepped in for Miljanić that night, "los merenegues" lost 2-0 in Belgrade and then got eliminated in the penalty shootout.