Real target Rafa to lead new Bernabeu revolution
Wednesday March 21 2007
With the Spaniard unsettled at Anfield as he awaits reassurances from Liverpool's new American owners, Real believe that they can tempt him back to his native Madrid by offering greater control than any other coach has had at the Bernabeu.
Benitez rejected an approach from Real 12 months ago, partly because of his misgivings about the regime that was just taking shape at the club, but a series of changes behind the scenes have laid the groundwork for a renewed bid.
In recognition of the need to allow their next coach more power than they have given the beleaguered Fabio Capello, Real have made moves to marginalise Predrag Mijatovic, the sporting director, and to promote a friend of Benitez, Juan Angel Sanchez, in a role as general manager that has been designed to avoid any conflicts of interest with the coach.
Unstable
Real plan to sound out Benitez via his agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon, in the next fortnight, having detected that his position at Anfield is becoming unstable.
The Spaniard expressed concern last week at the fact that he had not been contacted by George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, the American sports tycoons, since they bought a 62 per cent stake in the club in early February.
He was piqued by their failure to speak to him when they visited Anfield for the Champions League match against Barcelona two weeks ago.
While he has since been placated by a number of conciliatory emails from the United States, Benitez is understood to be demanding serious reassurances when the Americans return to Merseyside for the Premiership match against Arsenal on March 31.
However, Liverpool remain confident that Benitez will be persuaded to stay at Anfield beyond his present contract, which expires in 2010.
But they also recognise that the attraction of Real is strong for a man who was born in Madrid and not only supported the club but played for them at reserve-team level before spending several years on their coaching staff.
Meanwhile, Benitez yesterday called for England's big clubs to be allowed to field their reserve teams in the Football League.
The Anfield boss claims the reserve set-up in England is "not working" and preventing the progress of his young stars. He said: "I used to be the manager of Castilla, Real Madrid's reserve side, and I had players who were 18 and 19 years old playing in the Spanish second division championship.
They were playing against men. They were winning and we finished sixth and fourth. The question is, what improves the quality of the players?
"I would like to see reserve teams of the big clubs like ourselves playing in the Football League.
"How can you use a 17-year-old in the first team, unless he is a really top talent like Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney or Michael Owen? Players of that ability can play in the Premier League, but you have to be special to do that so young.
"The rest of the lads need to play at another level, but the reserve league is nothing. And I am not sure about them playing in League Two, either; they need really to be playing against good players, then they will learn more."
However, Benitez's comments have been met with derision from many who ply their trade in England's lower leagues.
Barry Fry, League Two side Peterborough's director of football, said: "It would never happen here, not in a million years.
Thriving
"The Football League is a thriving, 72-club competitive competition which is one of the best supported in the world - 16 million people watch it every season.
"No-one would want to watch the reserve teams of any club - I don't care if they're Real Madrid, Juventus or Fray Bentos!
"If Rafa Benitez wants his young players to get competitive games then all he has to do is loan them out to clubs like us." (© The Times, London)
- Oliver Kay
