Rafa Benitez claims he has had job offers from around the world - but that he wants to return to the Premier League.
Benitez has been out of work since he left Celta Vigo in March and says he has had propositions from Europe, the Middle East and Central America. His preference is to come back to the Premier League, where he has managed Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton.
Benitez and his family have lived on the Wirral since he moved to Liverpool in 2004 and he would love another crack at the top flight. However he wants a club that is competitive and he does not want to just survive in the Premier League.
“My first choice is to manage in the Premier League,” he told Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast. “If not, this year I have two offers from Greece, one from Turkey, one from Hungary, two from Mexico, one from the Emirates, one from Qatar, two from Saudi Arabia and a couple of national teams.
“So, now I’m thinking about Premier League as priority - can I compete to win? Or is it just to stay there? I don’t like to be a survivor.” Benitez, 64, who began coaching in 1986, also claims Anthony Gordon’s rapid development at Everton proves he can improve players.
He says he has had offers from clubs in the bottom half of the Premier League, but he is biding his time. “I’m thinking about taking a job in the Premier League,” he said. “That’s not easy because I had offers, trust me, I had five or six offers from teams at the bottom of the table.
“I’m realistic. I have the passion, I have the knowledge, I have the experience so I can make a difference. And the methodology, I like to be on the pitch coaching players and improving players, little things. Anthony Gordon is one of the examples, so we can improve players and make things happen.
“But, there are not too many. Manchester United will not come for me, Chelsea will not come for me. So, there are teams that I will not coach because they will not come for me. Then, the teams at the middle of the table, bottom of the table, they start firing managers and then you have to make a decision.”
Benitez has had offers to coach national sides, but again he wants to manage teams who can win tournaments. “Internationals, you play qualifiers for the World Cup, qualifiers for the Euros, and in 50 per cent of the games, you’ll win with a cigarette [in your mouth],” he said. “That’s it.
“Because you’re a top side, and you play against Malta, Luxembourg or Andora. Half of the games, you win with a cigarette. So, some of the national teams that were offered to me - or that I didn’t push - they want to qualify. I said, ‘it’s not enough’. But I want to compete for winning.
“I have the experience to do it. I can go to any game with a good team and compete against Spain or anyone. I can do it because I know that I did it. And, I still have this passion, and I analyse football, and I use my people.”
Rafa Benitez was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet
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2024-08-21T11:22:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd