Rafa — April 2012

ALL the great managers know their own worth.

They are driven by ego and personal ambition as much as anything else.

Rafael Benitez is 52, and hasn’t worked in management since leaving Inter Milan in December 2010 after a brief ill-starred spell in charge.

A new season has begun with the Spaniard still on the sidelines.

But the man who won the Champions League with Liverpool and two La Ligas at Valencia isn’t prepared to jump at just any offer.

“I’m looking for a top side that will allow me to fight for trophies,’’ he said.

“After winning so many trophies, that is what I want more of.

“People say ‘Rafa can’t get a job’. But it has to be the right one.

“There aren’t too many top clubs, so I have less options.”

There are some who feel that Benitez was ahead of his time during his spell at Anfield, that some of his innovations are only being recognised now.

“It’s not for me to say. But teams like Manchester City use zonal marking, there is an Under-21 league in England now — things that I was talking about five years ago,’’ he said.

“But you have this debate about the Spanish passing style and bringing it to English football.

“This was a debate that went on in Spain 15 years ago!

“Foreign managers, as well as foreign players, have really transformed the Premier League.

“When I came to England, you couldn’t find anyone to talk about tactics.

“Now the pundits are having tactical discussions. They have boards to explain why things happen and there’s been a big improvement.”

He watched Ireland closely at Euro 2012, given that they were in Spain’s group, and defends Giovanni Trapattoni.

“You have to have a lot of respect for what Trapattoni did in getting Ireland to Poland,’’ he said.

“Remember, everyone was talking about how great an achievement it was to qualify and everyone was so pleased.

“Trapattoni got a lot of criticism, and I thought this was unfair.

“Ireland were playing against really top sides so it was going to be very difficult for them.

“People should have perspective and look at the big picture.”

Trapattoni was hammered for sticking to a supposedly outdated 4–4–2 system, but Benitez feels the numbers game doesn’t tell the whole story.

“I think it’s too simplistic,’’ he said.

“The main thing is what you do on the pitch. You can have a 4–4–2 system and be very offensive or very defensive.

“I remember I played 4–2–3–1 and everyone was complaining that it was negative, that we were playing with just one striker.

“And we ended up scoring a record number of goals.

“It depends on what the players do on the pitch, not on the formation.

“Now, 4–2–3–1 is very common but people said it was negative then. Yet Steven Gerrard scored 24 goals playing behind the striker.”

Benitez does feel that football in both England and Ireland is playing catch-up from grass-roots level.

“I was helping with the coaches of my daughter’s school team,’’ he said.

“I’ve watched plenty of kids’ games in England and there’s so many long throw-ins and that kind of stuff.

“But you have to educate people. I don’t think that is the way forward.”

Benitez feels Liverpool are still reaping the benefits of changes he made at the club.

“We were trying to leave a legacy with the Academy and the scouting department,’’ he said.

“We put people like Frank McParland in charge. Got Pep Segura on board from Barcelona too.

“Raheem Sterling was signed, and he’s played in the first team now.

“We got Suso to come, even though Real Madrid wanted him.

“I wasn’t in charge of the Academy until my last year at Liverpool.

“We changed the staff, and changed the approach.

“We hadn’t been producing players at the level that Liverpool expected.

“So we got young players from abroad, and from Liverpool.

“The local players have the passion, but they needed to be coached in the right way.

“The young players are the future.

“Jack Robinson, Martin Kelly, Daniel Pacheco — good footballers who could fit into the system.”

Asked which managers he looks up to, it is telling that Benitez references no Premier League boss.

“Arrigo Sacchi is the manager I admire most,’’ he said.

“When I was with the youth teams at Real Madrid, Sacchi had the Milan team of Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten and they were great.

“Then there’s Johann Cruyff, Vicente Del Bosque and Pep Guardiola — managers with principles.”

Benitez was one of the few managers to dare to criticise Alex Ferguson, laying into him with the infamous ‘facts’ rant.

And he’d do the same all over again.

“I was the Liverpool manager and I was trying to do the best for my team,’’ he said.

“So you have to defend your club against anyone.

“At that time, we were doing well, United were doing well…the rivalry was there and, as the manager, you have to defend your club.

“What I said were the facts. They were very clear.

“I have good relationships with some managers in England…but it’s not the most important thing.

“What matters is doing your job properly, being professional and being serious.”

Gerrard wrote in his autobiography of how Benitez had never praised him once during his time in charge.

And the Spaniard sees nothing wrong in keeping the squad at arm’s length.

“Some successful managers have good relationships with their players, but not all of them do,’’ he said.

“It’s not something that is necessary.

“It can help, but you can win without that kind of relationship.

“It’s about coming up with ideas for the team, and getting those ideas across to the players.

“To be a good or great manager, you have to have your own ideas and your own style.”