Rafael Benitez insists he will not be at war with the latest Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, claiming he considers the Italian a coaching "magician".
Benitez's verbal battles with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho were a major feature of domestic and European battles between the teams in previous years.
But the Spanish tactician promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti on Sunday at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Barclays Premier League clash.
"I am looking forward to seeing him again, I have great respect for him," said Benitez, who went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was AC Milan coach.
"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the season.
"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.
"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."
He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.
"He has experience of working with top-class players, that is important.
"In Athens (in 2007) it was very close, but after they scored he was on top of things. As a manager he does not change very much, but that makes him a magician, someone who can alter very little but then produce a victory."
Benitez's verbal battles with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho were a major feature of domestic and European battles between the teams in previous years.
But the Spanish tactician promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti on Sunday at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Barclays Premier League clash.
"I am looking forward to seeing him again, I have great respect for him," said Benitez, who went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was AC Milan coach.
"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the season.
"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.
"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."
He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.
"He has experience of working with top-class players, that is important.
"In Athens (in 2007) it was very close, but after they scored he was on top of things. As a manager he does not change very much, but that makes him a magician, someone who can alter very little but then produce a victory."
No comments:
Post a Comment