Jose Antonio Camacho felt he was returning home after signing a two-year contract to coach Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old, who spent 15 seasons as a player at the club, said he aimed to return Real to its rightful place as the world's top side.
"I feel as though I'm back at home," he told a news conference at the Bernabeu.
"This is where I came as a boy and now I return as a man.
"I come here with enormous enthusiasm and my aim is to put Real Madrid back where it has always been and where it always should be and that is as number one."
The former Spain coach, who has been in charge of Benfica for the past season and a half, said restoring a winning mentality in the club's players would be his main priority.
He denied he had been hired because of his reputation as a strict disciplinarian.
"What I want to do is to get the best out of our players whoever they are," he said.
"I've never gone into the changing room with a whip in my hand, but the players will have to adapt to me and I will have to adapt to them.
"They will have to realise that it is on the pitch where things are won. They have to try and win every game and set out with that mentality.
"Real Madrid's aim has always been to win everything and Jose Antonio Camacho always sets out to win every game."
