There are two sides to Rafael Benítez: the one that still seems to have trouble motivating his players for matches against lowly teams such as Stoke City and Middlesbrough, and the one seen yesterday.
Benítez momentarily let slip during a lengthy discourse that the Champions League was the “most important” trophy in his eyes, but while that may frustrate some at the club for whom the Barclays Premier League title remains the most precious prize, one can hardly criticise the Liverpool manager for the natural affinity he has with European football’s premier club competition.
Benítez has the kind of authority in the Champions League that Sir Alex Ferguson, his Manchester United counterpart, has established in the Premier League and as he looked ahead to a quarter-final against Chelsea next month that will bring the teams together for an unprecedented fifth successive season in Europe — Juventus and Deportivo La Coruña met four times between 2001 and 2004 — the air of calm surrounding the Spaniard was pointed.
It was almost easy to forget for a moment that Liverpool have a crucial league game at home to Aston Villa tomorrow, when the Merseyside club will hope to maintain the pressure on United, the leaders, after their remarkable 4-1 win at Old Trafford last weekend, but Benítez was far more comfortable and confident discussing Chelsea than Villa, which might help to explain why his team often take their eye off the ball domestically but never in Europe.
Chelsea finally exacted revenge on Liverpool last season for two previous defeats at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007, a 4-3 aggregate success enough to secure them a place in the final against United in Moscow, but Benítez dismissed claims that that result could hand Guus Hiddink’s team a psychological advantage.
He also brushed off suggestions that the first leg being at Anfield on April 8 and the second leg at Stamford Bridge six days later plays into Chelsea’s hands. Nor does it matter that he is coming up against Hiddink, who has won the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven. When it comes to Europe, Benítez has absolute faith in his abilities and those of his team, and while he did not say it, he knows that Chelsea will be the more fearful.
“The league depends on United — it will be difficult but not impossible [to win] — but to win the Champions League again would be massive,” Benítez said. “It means a lot to win trophies but maybe to win the Champions League is the most important.
“I don’t think we are favourites. I don’t see either club having an advantage. Chelsea are a very good team that are in form again and it will be tough for both teams. They are playing with more confidence [under Hiddink].
“The Champions League is in our own hands. It depends on us. That’s a massive difference to the league situation, but it will still be very difficult. You can’t change the draw now, but our side of it is more difficult. If we get through, Barcelona or Bayern Munich will be difficult and then there’s the final itself, but do I want to be in the same situation in the next five years? If we keep playing them in the final stages of the Champions League, then I will be happy, as it means we have reached that far.”
Having finally ended speculation about his future by signing a new five-year contract this week, Benítez is clearly looking to the long term. One of the sticking points had been his demand for Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., the Liverpool owners, to provide him with guarantees about the future ownership of the club, but while they were unable to do that, the Spaniard is adamant that there is no clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if the owners changed.
“There’s no get-out clause,” he said. “I’ve signed the contract because I am 100 per cent committed to the club. Both owners signed my contract and said they want the best for the club and for me that’s enough.” Chelsea beware.
Benítez momentarily let slip during a lengthy discourse that the Champions League was the “most important” trophy in his eyes, but while that may frustrate some at the club for whom the Barclays Premier League title remains the most precious prize, one can hardly criticise the Liverpool manager for the natural affinity he has with European football’s premier club competition.
Benítez has the kind of authority in the Champions League that Sir Alex Ferguson, his Manchester United counterpart, has established in the Premier League and as he looked ahead to a quarter-final against Chelsea next month that will bring the teams together for an unprecedented fifth successive season in Europe — Juventus and Deportivo La Coruña met four times between 2001 and 2004 — the air of calm surrounding the Spaniard was pointed.
It was almost easy to forget for a moment that Liverpool have a crucial league game at home to Aston Villa tomorrow, when the Merseyside club will hope to maintain the pressure on United, the leaders, after their remarkable 4-1 win at Old Trafford last weekend, but Benítez was far more comfortable and confident discussing Chelsea than Villa, which might help to explain why his team often take their eye off the ball domestically but never in Europe.
Chelsea finally exacted revenge on Liverpool last season for two previous defeats at the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2007, a 4-3 aggregate success enough to secure them a place in the final against United in Moscow, but Benítez dismissed claims that that result could hand Guus Hiddink’s team a psychological advantage.
He also brushed off suggestions that the first leg being at Anfield on April 8 and the second leg at Stamford Bridge six days later plays into Chelsea’s hands. Nor does it matter that he is coming up against Hiddink, who has won the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven. When it comes to Europe, Benítez has absolute faith in his abilities and those of his team, and while he did not say it, he knows that Chelsea will be the more fearful.
“The league depends on United — it will be difficult but not impossible [to win] — but to win the Champions League again would be massive,” Benítez said. “It means a lot to win trophies but maybe to win the Champions League is the most important.
“I don’t think we are favourites. I don’t see either club having an advantage. Chelsea are a very good team that are in form again and it will be tough for both teams. They are playing with more confidence [under Hiddink].
“The Champions League is in our own hands. It depends on us. That’s a massive difference to the league situation, but it will still be very difficult. You can’t change the draw now, but our side of it is more difficult. If we get through, Barcelona or Bayern Munich will be difficult and then there’s the final itself, but do I want to be in the same situation in the next five years? If we keep playing them in the final stages of the Champions League, then I will be happy, as it means we have reached that far.”
Having finally ended speculation about his future by signing a new five-year contract this week, Benítez is clearly looking to the long term. One of the sticking points had been his demand for Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr., the Liverpool owners, to provide him with guarantees about the future ownership of the club, but while they were unable to do that, the Spaniard is adamant that there is no clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if the owners changed.
“There’s no get-out clause,” he said. “I’ve signed the contract because I am 100 per cent committed to the club. Both owners signed my contract and said they want the best for the club and for me that’s enough.” Chelsea beware.
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