Originally posted by BobTheCharmer
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no chance
removing all the weak links makes us stronger
too many gutless players, no beef or desire. pussies everywhere... sack them all. -
Roma match on Friday 19:45, on BT sport for anyone interested.If we are all only happy when we are really winning in the end, when your race finishes, what life would that be?Comment
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Benitez: "In football, everything is a lie"
From 'tortilla' to 'paella', from Liverpool to Real Madrid ... Big fan of Arrigo Sacchi, we discovered the coach who is doing great at Naples
Up close, Rafa Benitez is exactly like afar on television: above all he is a quiet guy. To understand the reactions of Ancelotti you only have to look at his left eyebrow, the only “tell” that betrays Benitez is his cheeks as they tend to blush. Quiet and serene, not just talking about the last game and the next, we sat at a table at the headquarters of Napoli. Just some questions to learn more about him.
What is football?
"Football is a lie".
This lie and Trapattoni discovered this when he coached Juve. He said the coaches were paid to tell stories to journalists. This succinct phrase that sounds like "Life is a Dream", I did not expect a 'sacchiano'. Can you elaborate on the issue?
"Certainly should not say in public. I know when one of my players has played badly, but I do not ever admit it on TV or in the newspapers. I consider my right and my duty to the fact that in private, to talk to the player who has done wrong and tell them what went wrong and how to prevent the recurrence of errors. Otherwise, what would a coach do?"
Do you recognize the label of 'sacchiano'?
"He's a colleague I respected a lot, his Milan soccer made history. I remember going to watch training to the 'Millanello', first with Arrigo and then Capello. Also going to see Fiorentina Ranieri. I studied carefully I prepared photocopies of Franco Ferrari at Coverciano ".
At the time of Sacchi, throughout Italy was playing with a 4-4-2 with very few exceptions: Galeone, Zeman, Zaccheroni. Today in Serie A, Chievo only usually play a 4-4-2. Is it a fighting game system?
"Since I'm in Naples, we have faced different teams in what refers to its structure. On this subject I have written exactly on this subject in this week’s column for the 'Telegraph'. There are a variety of game systems, if you want you can switch from a 4-5-1 to a 4-3-3. More than the game system is the mentality ".
You have moved to a back four with Napoli.
"It's the system I prefer, the one I like to use more. This is not to deny that at Liverpool for example we used a defense of three in some circumstances but it is not usually my first choice".
I'm curious: When you come together with other coaches to talk about football, is it also all a lie?
"If, for example I meet Ancelotti, I know he will not tell me all about Real Madrid. Neither will I tell all of Naples. About the other teams, we can afford to be honest".
Ancelotti was in Istanbul when you were with Liverpool and they rallied from zero to three and ending up three all to eventually win on penalties. Do you remember this often?
"Yes, and even if it did not someone always asks - but how you do it?".
I'll ask
"I think that two minutes before the break we were two goals down and I was thinking what I could say at halftime. And suddenly there came the third goal against us. In a sense that goal simplified things. I told them, so far have only played them, make them try to play us and if we scored a goal everything can change. We scored three in six minutes and there only chance was with Shevchenko on penalties, Dudek was excellent. I knew beforehand how four of the five players of Milan took them as we'd discussed this. In this great game I want to say one last thing that I think is important: neither Ancelotti nor I fail in any decision, we did all we could and should have done".
In my opinion, apart from coaching you are born with the vocation of educator, (blushes slightly)
"In the school of San Buenaventura my bench-mate was Ricardo Gallego. Our team, with an average age of twelve we won the tournament that was played among all schools in a city like Madrid".
What neighborhood were you born?
"In Aluche. If you know Madrid the subway line is between Carabanchel and Casa de Campo. It is a working class neighborhood. My father, Francis, was a ' colchonero ' which is known in Spain as the fans of Atletico Madrid. He began working at eleven year’s old as a doorman at a hotel. Eventually, he became commercial director of a large chain of hotels. Rosario, my mother was the one who encouraged me to choose a career in football. I was very happy when at thirteen started supporting the familyof Real Madrid, a team that she supported. At that age I had already assesing my own team".
Did the other guys know you were doing this?
"No, of course football is lying, but also discretion was used with personal notes to me I used to think in terms of the collective. I was a sort of a coach on the field. I remember my father whistling me from the band to me shouting: stop talking and run forward to scoregoals!".
What wasn´t your specialty--
"I scored twenty goals in official competition. I played as a defensive midfielder and even libero. My Idol was Beckenbauer, but also Di Stéfano, Pelé and somewhat later, - Maradona".
You came into the family of Real Madrid at the age of 13. You left because of an injury. You then returned as coach of the youth teams, winning six trophies. You've worked with Del Bosque. How much did it affect you when you left the field for the coaches bench at the young age of 26 years?
"Not much, perhaps because I was coaching even when I played. Ours is a privileged job, we can not forget this. What conditioned my career? The number 10 of the selection of Canada, in Mexico. I don't remember his name. It was the 'Universiada' of the ' 79. An tackle from behind and my right knee jumped forward. Fifteen days without treatment and then injuring my leg and I had to go through physiotherapy. But the knee never came to heal properly, at least not enough to play high-level soccer. So I went down precisely to the level needed. First four years in the Parla and then to the Linares, where I trained being left-handed being natural right-handed. It was the alternative to be able to shoot with force; I had to use the other foot, which had my healthy knee. Meanwhile I graduated from INEF, the equivalent of your ISEF. In Linares I had already gave classes to children from primary school age".
Why did you leave Real Madrid?
"Because I wanted to go my own way. In Madrid, the first rule of the House that they teach you from young is that it only applies to win. Second is the same that last".
And would you believe it?
"Who likes losing?. I've never met anyone who is happy when you lose, even young children. For years, since I was in Real Valladolid and Osasuna then I had the label of technically too young and being inexperienced. And the same people who made me sign the contract put it me curiously. When people ask me the differences between English football with the rest of the soccer world, I say that in England they have a habit of respecting deadlines, programs. Set a target over three years and have those three years to get it. Other places not usually so".
In Milan, for example?
"Well, we will say that I had little time. But in that short period of time, I won a couple of titles".
You have won with Valencia, with Liverpool and with Chelsea... You have been the first Spanish trainer in the 'Premier League'. Do you remember any victory in particular?
"In our profession we always look forward. But there is a curious episode of my time in Liverpool. We were training and the ball stopped, but a strong wind affected the trajectory of the ball. I said that we stopped due to strong wine and all the players were laughing. He had pronounced in English wine as rather than as wind as there is a similarity in both languages".
What do you see for the near future?
"A complicated tournament but I have full and absolute confidence in my players".
I think that, at the beginning of the pre-season, everyone was a little bewildered with few workouts and the lightness of the same with respect to previous stages.
"Look, the perfect trainer does not exist, as there is no perfect player. All can improve on quality technical, physical or tactical, that is not discussed. For me, football is 80% ball and 20% fitness, neither more nor less. Do you know which players are those who prefer a technician? Those who are good for moving between two lines. As Gianfranco Zola. As Mata. I have in my team players such as Hamsik and Pandev, with their level this reassures me much ".
Have you acclimatized to Naples?
"The truth is that it is not difficult. It is a great city, very passionate. One of the problems I have is that if I go to a restaurant blocks the traffic. So I spend most of the time in the hotel in Castel Volturno. It is my home and my restaurant, all in one, isn't it?. The other day I tried the 'baba' ".
A dish born in Lorraine by the hand of a dethroned Polish King Stanislas Leszczinski, who came to Naples via Paris. If you accept a tip, try above all the 'pastiera', which is 100% Neapolitan. If you go to Madrid, what is your first choice to eat?
"A 'tortilla' with onions and peppers. Here, with my coworkers, Paco, Antonio and Xavi, tend to eat a paella from time to time. A paella that is prepared from Xavi. With little fish, no go crazy".
After three years in Valencia, paella is almost obligation
"It is not a nostalgic gesture, it is almost a habit. To be happy, as when I was a kid, just an egg fried with potatoes".Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Gets me every time...Originally posted by Phil View Post
when it had finished I clicked on the link below. I expect most people have seen it, but just in case you haven't...
Can't do the embed thing.
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I'm reading his book 'Champions League Dreams' and I just can't get into it so far.
It feels like Rafa's just given Rory Smith some information and the latter's written it.
I expected it to sound like it was coming from Rafa, but it just doesn't. Rick Parry also seems to get quite a bit of 'credit'. He wasn't blamed for the Simao deal at all. Instead, it was a director of Benfica changing his mind about prices, and that final price being too high.Comment
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The easy way to get it to embed is to get the short link from youtube and remove the s in https if it's there. Either that or you have to delete the stuff from after the ? untill the v=.Originally posted by mick the click View PostGets me every time...
when it had finished I clicked on the link below. I expect most people have seen it, but just in case you haven't...
Can't do the embed thing.Comment
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Roma v Napoli tonight live on BT Sport. Should be a great game.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Oooh forgotten about that.
Napoli's first real test of the season I guess. Will watch this one.Comment
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BT Sport free on freeview this weekComment
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It's defo a match to watch! The huge surprise of the season, that just seems unbeatable against a very strong and well playing Napoli side that have more pressure on them this season than in a very long time.
Should be an interesting and I think quite well played match.Comment
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From today's Gazzetta
Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Napoli aren't great without Higuain. A bit like us without Torres under Rafa.If we are all only happy when we are really winning in the end, when your race finishes, what life would that be?Comment
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As I said.
If we are all only happy when we are really winning in the end, when your race finishes, what life would that be?Comment
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Great goal Pjanjic, just after Insigne missed a sitter for Napoli.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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