Rafa Benítez bounds into the hotel bar with a jaunty smile, a firm handshake and the air of a man wholly at ease with the world. The sun is shining on the Galician coast, the bar overlooks the idyllic Ría de Vigo estuary, all rocky coves and hidden beaches. He insists you try the local octopus delicacy.
According to the newspaper, this is the current situation for a 63-year-old traveling coach who is about to be let go. On Friday, Benítez’s team,Celta Vigo, will face Almería, the last place team. The paper states that it is a crucial game that must be won.
It would take too long to give full justice to Celta Vigo’s travails this season, though special mentions for being 2-0 up at Barcelona with nine minutes to play but losing 3-2; and the last-minute penalty that denied them against Sevilla, a decision so egregious it caused their star player, Iago Aspas, to seize the ref’s pitch-side TV monitor and smash it to the ground. (Who hasn’t wanted to do that?)
In their 100th year as a club, Benítez has been brought in to revitalize the once-romantic team, who made it to the Europa League semi-finals in 2017 but have recently been struggling to avoid relegation. Currently, they are in fourth to last place. Despite being ahead 2-0 in their game against third-to-last place Cádiz last weekend, they gave up a tying goal in the 10th minute of added time, typical of their season so far.
Benítez sighs and smiles as he draws attention to the reports predicting his demise. There comes a point in a coaching career when you really have seen it all. Vigo is an industrial port and Spain’s fishing fleet sets sail from here out into the Atlantic. Like an experienced sea captain who has navigated this tempestuous stretch of ocean a thousand times, Benítez seems pretty relaxed about these local squalls.
This does not mean that he is not invested. Benítez provides a long and impassioned explanation of the issues, primarily stemming from a strained dynamic with the previous sporting director. Benítez famously described their relationship as: “I asked for a table and he brought me a lampshade.” However, with the arrival of a new sporting director, communication has significantly improved, according to Benítez.
The champion of Istanbul 2005, a two-time champion of La Liga who disrupted the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid, a cup winner in both England and Italy, a Europa League champion with Chelsea, and a World Club Cup champion with Inter, is currently in Vigo while he could be in Merseyside with his wife, Montse – who happens to be from Galicia – counting his earnings.
Sometimes, my wife and I discuss: ‘Oh, let’s stay with our family,’” he says with a smile. “I can devote some months to being with my family, but afterwards I want to pursue my career. Otherwise, I will not be satisfied.” Is it like an addiction? “You could say that. When I was 13 years old at Real Madrid, I used to take notes on my teammates and analyze. At 16, I coached my friends during summer vacation, and at 17, I was a player-coach at university… Claudio Ranieri is 72 years old and still coaching, which means I have plenty of time.”
He understands the need of Jürgen Klopp, a successor at Liverpool, to take time out from this madness. “Jürgen and his family have their own ideas and each person is different.” Yet Benítez is perhaps built differently, and wouldn’t have walked away from Liverpool, however crazy the circus became. “Maybe,” he says. “Maybe I would want to continue but for me it was easy: living in Liverpool, I could stay there for my wife.” Montse is famously an adopted scouser.
Liverpool, though, remains a job that sucks the life out of you, where you lead not just a football club but a tribe. Benítez loved that, as he did at Napoli and Newcastle, similar cities with comparable fan bases. Those jobs cost you more emotionally but he says: “The satisfaction compensates.”
Currently, he is at an age where graduates from his coaching academy reign. In 2004, after achieving his second La Liga championship with Valencia, he and another emerging Spanish national, José Mourinho, were in high demand. That year, they were the Premier League’s first Portuguese and Spanish coaches. Today, there are a total of six such coaches. He looks back and realizes, “In your 40s, you may feel invincible, but you are mistaken. Yet, this mindset is necessary.”
Xabi Alonso is currently in high demand as a coach. However, two decades ago, he was a lanky and sluggish midfielder for Real Sociedad. There were doubts about his abilities – could he succeed in English football? Many questioned his strength and speed. Despite these concerns, his talent was evident. Unfortunately, many players who possess talent struggle to handle the physical demands and speed of the game.
Benítez prioritized attention to detail, even going as far as considering a player’s haircut before signing them. He believed that more eccentric hairstyles could be indicative of a player’s individualistic nature, and may suggest they are less receptive to coaching. His trust in Alonso was partially due to his upbringing in the Basque region, known for its frequent rain in the winter. This meant he wouldn’t have a homesick player from Andalusia longing for sunshine in the typically wet city of Liverpool.
Alonso possessed a natural aptitude for coaching. “He possessed intelligence and had a sharp analytical mind. When teaching certain players, repetition was necessary. Xabi, on the other hand, was a quick learner.” One particular match stands out in his career. During his first season, Alonso suffered a three-month absence due to a hard tackle from Frank Lampard, which served as a “Welcome to England” moment. Despite this setback, Liverpool pushed forward on their remarkable journey to win the Champions League in Istanbul, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win on penalties. In the midst of this triumph, they also had to navigate a challenging quarter-final against Juventus, protecting a one-goal lead.
Due to his extended absence, Alonso was not in top physical form. However, Benítez still needed him as the team faced Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero paired with Pavel Nedved in the attacking line. To counter this, the team switched to a formation with three defenders and Alonso shifted to a 5-3-1-1 position, playing alongside Milan Baros, Igor Biscan, and Antonio Núñez in the midfield. Benítez instructed Xabi to focus on the center and not exert himself too much since he was not fully fit. Instead, Núñez and Warnock were asked to provide the speed and energy, while Alonso protected the defenders from Nedved’s attacks. With Alonso executing his role effectively, Liverpool managed a 0-0 draw.
“We executed our tactics excellently, but our main focus was to quickly get Xabi back in the game as a holding midfielder.”
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He understands the clamour for Alonso at Liverpool but fears the impact of social media accelerates judgment. It took Benítez 15 years to become an overnight sensation at Valencia; Alonso is 17 months into his top-flight coaching career.
“He is a prominent figure, a skilled and responsible individual, intelligent, and excelling in his work. I can understand why his name is well-known. However, if a player like Steven Gerrard was also excelling, the attention would most likely be on him. With the quick pace of social media, it is easy for people to miss the overall picture.”
There is concern surrounding the technological behavior of youth. The speaker shares a personal experience of witnessing 14 members of his team from Napoli in an airport lounge, all engrossed in their phones with no conversation taking place. Despite being part of the communication era, the speaker suggests that this generation lacks true communication skills.
The speaker does not have a negative view of Gen Z, but rather appreciates Jude Bellingham despite the latter’s 82nd-minute winning goal against him. The speaker is impressed by the impact Bellingham has made at Real Madrid, comparing it to Cristiano Ronaldo’s contribution. However, unlike Ronaldo who came from Portugal, Bellingham comes from England and has been able to adapt exceptionally well. This is a notable achievement, considering that it used to be difficult for Spanish players to succeed in England. The speaker acknowledges successful players like Luis García, Xabi, Fernando Torres, and Álvaro Arbeloa. The speaker believes that Bellingham’s success can also pave the way for English players to excel in the future.
There was another player from England who was well-liked. According to the statement “If you were to ask which English player was most likely to become a coach, Jamie Carragher was the one with the most hunger for tactical knowledge.”
Carragher has recently acknowledged the significance of Benítez’s triumph in Istanbul as the basis for the success of the Klopp era. This victory helped to maintain Liverpool’s historical significance during a period when the club was at risk of losing its previous glory. Benítez believes that this win also spurred the influx of American investment in the sport.
I concur with Carra’s perspective. I believe many individuals in the United States were tuned in to this game, which may have attracted the attention of the new owners who purchased this club. They recognized its potential, observed the passionate fans, and witnessed the thrilling final – undoubtedly the most emotionally charged. The vibrant parade in the city further showcases the potential of this club.
Carragher shared Benítez’s passion for watching analysis videos, and consistently asked for more. Benítez jokingly suggests that Carragher made a good choice in his career as a pundit, where he can freely criticize and analyze without the pressure of playing. Mistakes in punditry do not carry the same consequences as those made in a game.
The existence of a traveling super-coach can sometimes be isolated, spending time in luxurious hotels strategizing for the upcoming game against Almería, while the media emphasizes the importance of winning. However, the same situation occurred in Istanbul.
Source: theguardian.com
