Rafael Benitez has hailed the Liverpool contingent in the Spain squad ahead of the impending Euros.
There will be few prouder than Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez during Euro 2008 when he watches four of his players swap the Red of Liverpool for La Roja of Spain.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina are all in the 23-man squad as Benitez's native Spain prepare for the Austria and Switzerland showpiece.
La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have fewer players involved and Benitez hailed his fab four, saying: "I will be supporting Spain, of course, because we have some very good players, including four from this club.
"As a manager of an English club, to see your players in any national team is really important. To see so many of our players in the Spain squad - I think we must be really proud because it is a special situation and one which is really good for us.
"It means that we are bringing in players with quality who are good enough to play international football, so that is very positive.
"The four Liverpool players who have been selected have shown the quality that they have.
"We know that Iker Casillas is a very good goalkeeper but for me Pepe Reina is as good as him.
"Arbeloa will have his chance because he can play in more than one position and he has more experience now, and Xabi, as we know, is a top-class player who can be at the same level of the other midfielders.
"Finally, we have seen how good Torres can be during the last season.
"Spain has a lot of quality. Everyone talks about the fact that they have not won a major tournament but statistics like this are there to be broken – maybe this will be their time."
Benitez hopes Liverpudlians will support Spain, because the Anfield club's success in Europe has gained them a fanbase in his homeland.
He continued: "In the first year we won the Champions League and many people in Spain were supporting us in the final and the other games.
"I think there are a lot of people in Spain who support us. Everyone has a first club – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal, whoever – and their second club now is normally Liverpool."
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague added: "The interest in Liverpool has grown steadily in Spain since Benitez first arrived at Anfield.
"The fact that the manager of Liverpool Football Club was a Spaniard got everyone's attention and then the Spanish players came – the likes of Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso, Josemi and Antonio Nunez. That made the interest levels grow some more.
"But this season that interest has gone to a new level and it is all because of one man – Fernando Torres."
There will be few prouder than Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez during Euro 2008 when he watches four of his players swap the Red of Liverpool for La Roja of Spain.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina are all in the 23-man squad as Benitez's native Spain prepare for the Austria and Switzerland showpiece.
La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have fewer players involved and Benitez hailed his fab four, saying: "I will be supporting Spain, of course, because we have some very good players, including four from this club.
"As a manager of an English club, to see your players in any national team is really important. To see so many of our players in the Spain squad - I think we must be really proud because it is a special situation and one which is really good for us.
"It means that we are bringing in players with quality who are good enough to play international football, so that is very positive.
"The four Liverpool players who have been selected have shown the quality that they have.
"We know that Iker Casillas is a very good goalkeeper but for me Pepe Reina is as good as him.
"Arbeloa will have his chance because he can play in more than one position and he has more experience now, and Xabi, as we know, is a top-class player who can be at the same level of the other midfielders.
"Finally, we have seen how good Torres can be during the last season.
"Spain has a lot of quality. Everyone talks about the fact that they have not won a major tournament but statistics like this are there to be broken – maybe this will be their time."
Benitez hopes Liverpudlians will support Spain, because the Anfield club's success in Europe has gained them a fanbase in his homeland.
He continued: "In the first year we won the Champions League and many people in Spain were supporting us in the final and the other games.
"I think there are a lot of people in Spain who support us. Everyone has a first club – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal, whoever – and their second club now is normally Liverpool."
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague added: "The interest in Liverpool has grown steadily in Spain since Benitez first arrived at Anfield.
"The fact that the manager of Liverpool Football Club was a Spaniard got everyone's attention and then the Spanish players came – the likes of Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso, Josemi and Antonio Nunez. That made the interest levels grow some more.
"But this season that interest has gone to a new level and it is all because of one man – Fernando Torres."
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