Rafa Benitez has ruled out a return to Spain as he plots his next move in football – but has opened the door to a job in England or Italy.
The former Newcastle United boss ended an 18-month stint in China back in January, leaving the CSL side to be closer to his family during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, he’s been linked with a return to Tyneside and has admitted to rejecting a host of unnamed offers – although it’s fair to say he won’t be back at St James’ Park anytime soon if Mike Ashley fails to sell up!
Speaking to Sky Sports in Italy, here’s what he had to say about his future plans – hinting that he’ll only join a club capable of competing for trophies:
“The memory of Naples is fantastic, as well as the relationship I had with the city and the fans,”
“I spent two years in which Juventus dominated, and we have won two titles. De Laurentiis? He is a visionary.
“I remember that he took the plane and came to London to talk to me, because he had this idea: to hire a coach-manager with a sports director like Riccardo Bigon and work together to change the mentality of the club.”
“I like to compete, I like to win; however at the same time I can work with young people because I am a ‘professor’,”
“In Spain, at the moment, it is not possible to think about carrying out a project and trying to win something. In Italy and England, on the other hand, it can be done.
“It is still too early to know what will happen in the future, but it is clear that Italy and England are places where I have been well.”
It’s quite telling that he’s only focused on a job that allows him to ‘win something’. With this mentality, it’s easy to see why he gave up on Mike Ashley’s Newcastle United when new owners didn’t arrive almost two years ago now.
His family home in the Wirral may tempt him to stay in England, but it’s difficult to know what Premier League job he’d take.
West Ham and Leicester have been regularly linked, but the former are flying under Moyes and the Foxes doing brilliantly under Brendan Rodgers.
The Spurs job is open, however I can’t see them going for another pragmatic manager after Tottenham fans grew tired of Mourinho’s brand of football.
Would you have him back on Tyneside if a takeover went through? I certainly would.
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I’m the opposite of you Olly, I wouldn’t want him back, we were equally as dire to watch under Benitez as we are Bruce. I would like to see a more attack minded coach/manager coming in, although perhaps too old, someone in the vein of Gasperini at Atalanta.
David(Quote)
What Rafa had to work with was completely different to Bruce
Rafa WAS allowed to spend on a set of player’s to get them back in the Premier league = good Championship players…
..BUT on returning to the Promised Land, Rafa needed Ashley to reinvest to get the players in to compete in the Premiership!
This didn’t happen so Rafa was forced to MANAGE championship players that needed a style of football that would work on their level = not a pretty sight!
Then we have Bruce = simply isn’t a MANAGER
So we had big money spent on players and 2 bob on Bruce!
Not saying I want Rafa BUT I want to see Bruce / MD Charmless and whoever scouted Joelinton for 40 MILLION shown the door as soon as we are safe…
…AND A MANAGER brought in
KK(Quote)
Quite amusing – Rafa leaving China with a very similar win percentage to Steve Bruce, with Bruce having managed 45 games more during the period – showing him to be a lot more consistent.
Its also funny that Bruce only needs 9 more points to end up with the same number of Prem points as Rafa during his stay at the Toon.
Aye – Rafa was a real hero!
BykerBill(Quote)
I love the excuses that keep being regurgitated for why Rafa had a harder time than Bruce.
Aye – Bruce got loads of money to spend , on Joelinton.
“Rafa was forced to MANAGE championship players that neededa style of football that would work on their level ” – aren’t they pretty much the same players that Bruce is managing?
BykerBill(Quote)
While he was quality, never go back.. would prefer someone young and exciting
rixoid(Quote)
Neither for me
Cc(Quote)
Yes it would be great to move on from the old Rafa v Bruce comparison’s
= TOTALLY DIFFERENT TEAMS and TIMES – BUT what we’ve all seen over the past 2 years has been awful and without direction with player’s holding their hands up looking for some form of management
Let’s move onto a young, talented, and hungry MANAGER – I’d like someone like Lampard and not manages that have taken their own club’s down!
Then we all Wake up and Ashley is still the Owner = we’ll be stuck with the Numpty Bruce
KK(Quote)