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      Rafael Benitez Discussion Thread

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      Diego LFC
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #115: Jun 15, 2010 03:11:14 pm
      It hurts seeing these pics  :-\ Best of luck at Inter, Rafa!
      racerx34
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #116: Jun 15, 2010 03:14:04 pm

      Prefer this photo myself
      7-King Kenny-7
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #117: Jun 15, 2010 04:27:34 pm
      Doesn't seem right looking at them pictures.

      "The club was fantastic, the fans were amazing, so it was a sad day when I had to go. But things change so I had to do it."
      Brian78
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #118: Jun 15, 2010 06:56:14 pm
      Said hed had contact with 95% of the players since he left. Love to know who the other 5%are!!

      Anyway hes Inter now so this will be my last post on the man.

      Thanks again for your efforts. I will always believe that the past season was a blip before pushing on to great things after the yanks sold up. I also believe you will return in time. Until then all the best
      niksluvslfc
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #119: Jun 15, 2010 06:59:12 pm

      *sniffs* blue is so not his colour *sniifs* . It's so weird not seeing him with a red tie .
      AussieRed
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #120: Jun 18, 2010 10:36:39 am
      See ya back at Anfield in a couple of seasons Rafa.  xxxxx:action-smiley-065:

      Thanks for posting the pics JD. Rafa sure does look weird in a Blue tie.  :-\
      YANK_LFC_FAN
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #121: Jun 22, 2010 06:12:21 pm
      Good luck Rafa...Too bad our owners didn't realize you were the best coach for Liverpool.
      JD
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #122: Jul 02, 2010 12:29:04 am
      August 5 2010.

      Rafa takes Inter Milan to....

      Dallas, Texas.
      Dadorious
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #123: Jul 02, 2010 02:50:50 am
      Hah easy Materazzi the mad basatard can eat Hicks alive for us.
      MiciG91
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #124: Jul 02, 2010 05:08:43 am
      August 5 2010.

      Rafa takes Inter Milan to....

      Dallas, Texas.
      You are shitting me ??
      RyanBabs
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #125: Jul 02, 2010 12:29:02 pm
      Said hed had contact with 95% of the players since he left. Love to know who the other 5%are!!

      Anyway hes Inter now so this will be my last post on the man.

      Thanks again for your efforts. I will always believe that the past season was a blip before pushing on to great things after the yanks sold up. I also believe you will return in time. Until then all the best

      Riera.
      paulrobbo
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #126: Jul 02, 2010 01:06:16 pm
      August 5 2010.

      Rafa takes Inter Milan to....

      Dallas, Texas.

      :lmao:

      Thats got to be a little dig at Hicks.
      CRK
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #127: Jul 02, 2010 02:41:41 pm
      Love it.

      Whispers of Liverpool fans over there taking some banners to that match. Ideal opportunity for some Anti-H&G publicity in the states. Be a missed opportunity if they don't do that in Hicks' own back yard.
      JD
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #128: Jul 14, 2010 09:11:46 am
      Rafael Benitez officially opened the new season today with a news conference at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti.

      "We are here to win," the Spanish coach told a packed press room. "This club has a strong winning mentality. We will work together and aim to win from day one. The project is to repeat the success of last year. Our work? Eighty percent of our work will be with the ball. We will do tests to assess all the players, and all the other things you know about. We will do the same things that are done in Spain and England."

      The fans want to know the new Inter. How will Benitez' Inter be?

      "We need a strong mentality. The team, club and fans. All together. Like at Liverpool. All together. We are a big team and everyone will want to win against us. This team has played with 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, our system of play will depend on the players. We can play with lots of possession because it's a strong team, but if we want to we can play in another way. The mentality is important."

      Will you bring some of Spain's style of play to Inter?

      "I spent many years as coach of the Real youth academy. My first job as coach was when Del Bosque was coordinator of their academy. I worked with him for many years. I also worked with him as assistant to the first team for four months. I know him well. Our play? It always depends on the players you have. The style of the Spain national team is based on ball possession and quality players and it will be good if we can imitate them. Italian football is tactically good, intelligent football and if we can combine the two styles, I think the team will be stronger."

      Mourinho improved the mentality at Inter. How will you work to keep the same mentality? 

      "I have spoken with two or three people at the club. They all have the same strong mentality: to want to win, do things in the best way possible. The president wants to keep winning and this is good for me because I want to win too. Marco Branca has the same idea. I have spoken with Zanetti, Eto'o, Cambiasso, Sneijder, Milito and many others, and they all want to win too. We have to keep the same mentality."

      With just over a month to go until the Super Cup, how hard will it be to prepare the team? 

      "A lot of players will arrive at a later stage. Some are here today, some will come in the coming days and those at the World Cup will have at least three weeks' holiday. We have to wait for them and work with the players we have. If we have to look for new players, this is the responsibility of the president and Branca. We will work on the pitch."

      Is Mario Balotelli untransferable for you? Have you already spoken to him?

      "I want to know all my players personally. He is an important player and I want to talk to him and get to know him. After that, we will see. Every player is important for me. They are quality players. I have to see how they work, see their mentality and talk to them."

      You will have a weaker squad if players like Maicon leave. Will it be harder to win everything?

      "We have more players than last year because some who were on loan have returned. They have to show their level. We also have the Primavera players who have to show their level. It's never easy in a World Cup year - the start is slow. I'm happy to be here because working with all these quality players is a great opportunity for me."

      Have you asked for any players? Is Sneijder already the Ballon d'Or winner?

      "I'm happy for Spain because it was important for Spain. I'm sorry for Sneijder. He was confident of winning the World Cup. He showed all his quality on the pitch last season. In England I was a manager. Here I am a coach. We all have our opinions, but the team has a sporting director and a president. Transfers are their responsibility. I have to work on the pitch."

      Samuel Eto'o played all over the pitch last season, even in defence. Will it be the same this year?

      "I spoke to him before his holiday. I knew Samuel when he was at the Real academy. About ten years ago. I have a good relationship with him. He is a world-class striker who did an important job for the team last year. I'm confident in his quality and I have to talk to him."

      You know Spanish and English football perfectly. How difficult is it to build an academy like at Barcelona or Real Madrid?

      "It's always the same, in Spain, England and here. We all want young players to make it into the first team and the national team. Inter's academy is a strong academy. At Liverpool we had two or three youth players on our list. So here we have to work with the young players. Inter's academy has worked well. As for the rest of Italy, it's hard to say because I don't know it well. It's not easy to do everything in one day. We all want young players in the first team, but it takes time."

      Did you ever think of the risks of coaching a team that has won everything?

      "You need a good team to win. I built a winning team at Liverpool and we won a lot. But a change was needed. This is an opportunity that every coach wanted. We have the possibility to play the Super Cup and then the European Super Cup and I'm happy to be here for these reasons."

      Where and with who did you watch Spain in the World Cup final last night? Did you celebrate?

      "I watched Spain in a hotel with my staff. I had to write something for a Spanish paper so I spent the evening calmly in my hotel. Spain had a good World Cup and deserved to win."

      At Liverpool you were a manager. Here you are a coach. What's the difference?

      "A manager has responsibility for everything. A coach has more responsibility on the pitch."

      You said that you prefer to talk about players who are here, but what about Mascherano? Can he and Cambiasso play together?

      "I'll talk about Cambiasso because he's here. He's a very intelligent player who can play with Stankovic, Thiago Motta, Zanetti. He can play with anyone."

      Is coming to Inter the high point of your career? Mourinho had problems with Italian football. What do you think about this?

      "This is a challenge because the team won the Champions League, Italian championship and Italian Cup last year. So it's a challenge for me. I understand that talking about Mourinho and last year is important for you and the fans, but I don't want to make any kind of comparison. This year is different from the past. I want to do things well and we will see what happens."

      You said that pre-season preparations are slow in a World Cup year. What does this team need to be even stronger?

      "It depends on the transfer market. If some players leave, I will need others. But at the moment all the players are here. If no one leaves, we will see. I will have to talk to my staff and decide."

      Which players impressed you most at the World Cup?

      "It's easy for me. Spain did very well. Iniesta had a very good World Cup. Xavi as well. David Villa also. These three players did very, very well."

      You said that you're a coach, not a manager. If offers come in for Maicon and Balotelli, is it fine for you if they go? Will managing Balotelli be a challenge for you after the problems he had with Mourinho last year?

      "First I have to get to know the players. Then we will talk about this. Balotelli is a quality player who wants to play because he wants to win, and this is always important. I will work on the pitch with them. We might change a few things here at the training centre. We want to work in the 'cage', in the gym, do work with the injured players. We will change a bit of everything, and then I hope we go on the pitch and score lots of goals. And we need to change something here in the press room... It's like a sauna. We need to improve the air conditioning..."

      To know the best players to buy for next season do we have to ask the octopus?

      "Yes, but the Galician octopus. My wife cooks the best Galician-style octopus. On holiday in Sardinia I spoke with the chef in the restaurant and he cooked this speciality of Galicia."

      You spoke Italian before you came here. What do you find fascinating about Italy? Who are your biggest rivals? Milan, Juve or Roma?

      "They are all very strong teams. I speak a bit of Italian because in the past I have played at the Viareggio tournament with the Real youth team. Youth football here is very important with these tournaments. So I speak a bit of Italian, and then in the Champions League I spoke a bit. Italy is similar to Spain in terms of the people, the mentality. I had my first problem with my car today because the steering wheel is on the other side. I was used to driving on the other side in England."
      stuey
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #129: Jul 14, 2010 09:55:59 am
      The thing that jumps out is his continuous reference to inter-acting and communicating with his squad and Rafa stresses the importance of it, completely the opposite story to his alleged managerial style at Liverpool as the media would have you believe and of course one or two sub standard squad players.
      There are several references to LFC and none of course disrespectful no doubt his words will be scrutinised by the sh*t stirring headline boys but Rafa has been meticulous as ever with his statements none more so than the enquiry about the octopus which has been linked with several national sides but Rafa sidestepped the question very sublimely and spoke of a menu that was palatable to him, much to everyone's amusement.
      Excellent read JD thanks for posting. 
      « Last Edit: Jul 14, 2010 11:15:37 am by stuey »
      kb2x
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #130: Jul 14, 2010 11:02:50 am
      he's put a lot of weight on...
      JD
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #131: Jul 14, 2010 11:19:37 am
      he's put a lot of weight on...
      So would I if someone gave me £6M.

      Great to see over 1000 fans turn up for the clubs first training session.

      And also you can see a couple of the staff who have left Liverpool

      Mauricio Pellegrino (former Assistant manager)
      Xavi Valero (former Goalkeeping coach - big shame for Reina)
      and not pictured
      Paco de Miguel (former Head Fitness coach)










      bobobobo
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #132: Jul 14, 2010 11:36:17 am
      really miss this guy :(
      JD
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #133: Jul 16, 2010 02:02:40 pm
      Brooklyn Red
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #134: Jul 29, 2010 07:56:26 pm


      Rafa was here in NYC yesterday. Would've gone up if I'd known.
      IrishRed_IO
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #135: Aug 17, 2010 12:14:32 pm
      Thought he was offered loads of money to spend there? He hasn't signed anyone yet has he? Take that back, the board there havn't signed anyone yet have they?
      crouchinho
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #136: Aug 17, 2010 12:16:58 pm
      Well all the talk of their signings were replacements for Balotelli, Maicon and a few others who were linked away from he club but only Balotelli has left.

      I know they signed a defender but that's about it, i think.
      RyanBabs
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      Re: Rafael Benitez. Inter Milan coach
      Reply #137: Aug 17, 2010 12:36:08 pm
      I bet Rafa is glad he got rid of that little kid Mario Balotelli, who wants to be number 1 at every club

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