From Corriere Della Sera.
Q: Rafa Benitez, who made you take up this awful task?
A: Which awful task?
Q: Training Inter, a team that has just won everything
A: It’s an honour. The pride of managing a club that has recently done very well. And the tradition of a club that in many ways has a lot in common with Liverpool
Q: What things are similar to Liverpool?
A: The sense of fighting alone against everyone else.
Q: You know that another coach said the same thing before you?
A: It wasn’t the coaches that said it, it was history.
Q: Will it be difficult to win everything again?
A: It’s always difficult to win, but we have the right mentality. This is just a team that won last year, but for the last 5 years. And it is to everyone’s credit, in the first place the President and the management, that have the correct mentality; then the players, who are excellent, and also the fans, who are right behind the team. The coach benefits from all this.
Q: How do you motivate a team after the treble?
A: Talking to them. I never say ‘I want it done like this’, instead I say ‘I would like to do this, what do you think?’. I prefer teaching than forcing. I said this to the captain and the players: they all said that they want to continue winning.
Q: Have you spoken with Eto’o?
A: Yes, to him to.
Q: Is he expecting another season playing wide?
A: He does great work for the team. He knows that what he does is important and he will do it. We will look for some ways of getting him into the box more.
Q: Have you spoken to Balotelli?
A: Of course.
Q: From Friday he’ll be a Man City player. You trained him for a month. What did you think of him?
A: It’s clear that he’s a quality player, with great potential, but he wanted to play every game. And in a club like Inter you can’t guarantee that.
Q: Is he an important loss?
A: It wasn’t an easy decision, but maybe it’s better this way, particularly for him.
Q: How would your ideal team play?
A: Well.
Q: Every coach says that. Anything specific?
A: Let’s put it this way: If the idea is that we have to win, playing well, we’ll win more. But it’s easy to say. The reality though is that when you play a tactically astute team, you have to work to create an advantage for yourselves.
Q: That’s what you did at Liverpool?
A: I tried.
Q: Have you ever thought that it was you that made Moratti bring Mourinho to Inter?
A: Me?
Q: Moratti contacted Mourinho the day after Inter were knocked out by your Liverpool.
A: [Laughs]. I’ve never thoughts about it. Obviously I thought about winning the game, but that Mourinho would then go to Inter never entered my plans.
Q: What traces of Mourinho have you found at Inter?
A: You can see that the team has a winning mentality. But they had in before with Mancini, and also before with Cuper. But the club is always more important, the players are more important than the coach. The coach does his own work, but if he doesn’t have the players, if the club isn’t strong, then nothing will work.
Q: You and Mourinho arrived in England 12 days apart. You at Liverpool, him at Chelsea. You were friends.
A: Yes, we were.
Q: Then there was that Semi Final of the Champions League, that ghost goal of Luis Garcia. Was it really a goal?
A: I’ve always said yes.
Q: And on what do you base that?
A: My secretary was in line with the goal, and told me that the ball was in. I trust her.
Q: That’s quite difficult to prove.
A: Ok. But why has Mourinho never said that there was a penalty for us and Cech sent off? Anyway, we player better.
Q: Have you read what Mourinho said? That if Inter win the Supercup it’s his triumph.
A: Before talking about it, let’s win it, and then we’ll see. Although I ask myself, which coach won all the trophies of the past? For me, they are not any coach’s wins, they are Inter’s, of the players on the pitch and of the fans. And then I’d ask one question.
Q: Go ahead.
A: If someone wants credit for the wins, will he also take the blame for defeats?
Q: You’d have to ask him. Mourinho also accused you of taking his photo down from the dressing room.
A: He knows it isn’t true. Or he knows nothing about it and doesn’t want to know. The page of the newspaper was taken down before I knew about it, and another, more recent page was put up in its place, and on that page he’s also there, but maybe a bit smaller, and the players are also there.
Q: Did you like how Inter played at Bari? [Pre season tournament won by Inter against Juve and Milan].
A: We can and must do better. The coach is eternally dissatisfied. He wants always a little more, this is the winning mentality.
Q: Everyone is saying that in the Championship Inter has no competition.
A: That’s wrong. Juve, Roma and Milan are strong teams, it is always difficult and every championship has it’s own story.
Q: Talking about Juve, how close were you to becoming coach of them?
A: Football changes every week. The truth is that a coach that has a strong team like Liverpool is always a target for other teams looking for a manager.
Q: In other words, you were contacted.
A: My agent had contacts, but I’m here, and happy to be here.
Q: How hours does Rafa Beneitez devote to football?
A: Ask my wife.
Q: What would your wife say?
A: Too many.
Q: Other interests, apart from football?
A: Chess, and also basketball. I played that too, you know? At Real Madrid with Emiliano Rodriguez, Del Corral, Corbalan. They scored, and I ran after them.
Q: Do you like Italian cooking?
A: It’s great. But I know that I have to lose weight, but it’s not easy when you’re under stress. Although I’ve lost 3 kilos already. Isn’t that good?
Q: Rafa Benitez, who made you take up this awful task?
A: Which awful task?
Q: Training Inter, a team that has just won everything
A: It’s an honour. The pride of managing a club that has recently done very well. And the tradition of a club that in many ways has a lot in common with Liverpool
Q: What things are similar to Liverpool?
A: The sense of fighting alone against everyone else.
Q: You know that another coach said the same thing before you?
A: It wasn’t the coaches that said it, it was history.
Q: Will it be difficult to win everything again?
A: It’s always difficult to win, but we have the right mentality. This is just a team that won last year, but for the last 5 years. And it is to everyone’s credit, in the first place the President and the management, that have the correct mentality; then the players, who are excellent, and also the fans, who are right behind the team. The coach benefits from all this.
Q: How do you motivate a team after the treble?
A: Talking to them. I never say ‘I want it done like this’, instead I say ‘I would like to do this, what do you think?’. I prefer teaching than forcing. I said this to the captain and the players: they all said that they want to continue winning.
Q: Have you spoken with Eto’o?
A: Yes, to him to.
Q: Is he expecting another season playing wide?
A: He does great work for the team. He knows that what he does is important and he will do it. We will look for some ways of getting him into the box more.
Q: Have you spoken to Balotelli?
A: Of course.
Q: From Friday he’ll be a Man City player. You trained him for a month. What did you think of him?
A: It’s clear that he’s a quality player, with great potential, but he wanted to play every game. And in a club like Inter you can’t guarantee that.
Q: Is he an important loss?
A: It wasn’t an easy decision, but maybe it’s better this way, particularly for him.
Q: How would your ideal team play?
A: Well.
Q: Every coach says that. Anything specific?
A: Let’s put it this way: If the idea is that we have to win, playing well, we’ll win more. But it’s easy to say. The reality though is that when you play a tactically astute team, you have to work to create an advantage for yourselves.
Q: That’s what you did at Liverpool?
A: I tried.
Q: Have you ever thought that it was you that made Moratti bring Mourinho to Inter?
A: Me?
Q: Moratti contacted Mourinho the day after Inter were knocked out by your Liverpool.
A: [Laughs]. I’ve never thoughts about it. Obviously I thought about winning the game, but that Mourinho would then go to Inter never entered my plans.
Q: What traces of Mourinho have you found at Inter?
A: You can see that the team has a winning mentality. But they had in before with Mancini, and also before with Cuper. But the club is always more important, the players are more important than the coach. The coach does his own work, but if he doesn’t have the players, if the club isn’t strong, then nothing will work.
Q: You and Mourinho arrived in England 12 days apart. You at Liverpool, him at Chelsea. You were friends.
A: Yes, we were.
Q: Then there was that Semi Final of the Champions League, that ghost goal of Luis Garcia. Was it really a goal?
A: I’ve always said yes.
Q: And on what do you base that?
A: My secretary was in line with the goal, and told me that the ball was in. I trust her.
Q: That’s quite difficult to prove.
A: Ok. But why has Mourinho never said that there was a penalty for us and Cech sent off? Anyway, we player better.
Q: Have you read what Mourinho said? That if Inter win the Supercup it’s his triumph.
A: Before talking about it, let’s win it, and then we’ll see. Although I ask myself, which coach won all the trophies of the past? For me, they are not any coach’s wins, they are Inter’s, of the players on the pitch and of the fans. And then I’d ask one question.
Q: Go ahead.
A: If someone wants credit for the wins, will he also take the blame for defeats?
Q: You’d have to ask him. Mourinho also accused you of taking his photo down from the dressing room.
A: He knows it isn’t true. Or he knows nothing about it and doesn’t want to know. The page of the newspaper was taken down before I knew about it, and another, more recent page was put up in its place, and on that page he’s also there, but maybe a bit smaller, and the players are also there.
Q: Did you like how Inter played at Bari? [Pre season tournament won by Inter against Juve and Milan].
A: We can and must do better. The coach is eternally dissatisfied. He wants always a little more, this is the winning mentality.
Q: Everyone is saying that in the Championship Inter has no competition.
A: That’s wrong. Juve, Roma and Milan are strong teams, it is always difficult and every championship has it’s own story.
Q: Talking about Juve, how close were you to becoming coach of them?
A: Football changes every week. The truth is that a coach that has a strong team like Liverpool is always a target for other teams looking for a manager.
Q: In other words, you were contacted.
A: My agent had contacts, but I’m here, and happy to be here.
Q: How hours does Rafa Beneitez devote to football?
A: Ask my wife.
Q: What would your wife say?
A: Too many.
Q: Other interests, apart from football?
A: Chess, and also basketball. I played that too, you know? At Real Madrid with Emiliano Rodriguez, Del Corral, Corbalan. They scored, and I ran after them.
Q: Do you like Italian cooking?
A: It’s great. But I know that I have to lose weight, but it’s not easy when you’re under stress. Although I’ve lost 3 kilos already. Isn’t that good?
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