Benitez: I am considering returning to coach the team, the Miracle in Istanbul is my masterpiece

Famous Spanish coach Benitez reviewed his rich coaching career when attending the Trento Sports Festival. He admitted that in addition to leading Liverpool to stage the "Miracle of Istanbul" in 2005, he valued the experience of leading a small team to promotion three times because it "means you are a real head coach."

About the Miracle in Istanbul and other coaching achievements

This Champions League final is still my masterpiece. I still get Liverpool fans stopping me and telling me it was the best night of their lives, it was spectacular. We got to the final after beating Juventus and Chelsea, and then beat Milan that way in Istanbul. The final in Athens two years later was a shame (it was one of the two games he most wanted to replay, the other being the 2005 Club World Cup final) because we played better but lost. In Istanbul we probably played worse, but we won. ”

But there are other exploits that I hold dear: coaching Extremadura and Tenerife in Spain, and Newcastle United’s promotion to the top flight in England. If you can succeed in multiple leagues, it means you have value as a coach. It's worth it, but being able to lead a small team to promotion, as I did three times, means you are a real head coach."

Rumors about being at Inter Milan, Naples and Juventus

Among my many coaching experiences, I also include Inter Milan and Naples. I won two trophies at Inter but I didn't like the way they handled my departure. I had 15 players over the age of 30 who had already won a lot of honours. But we didn't buy anyone and later even Moratti admitted that was a mistake. The experience in Napoli was special from the first day: it was a great experience and we succeeded in changing the mentality of the team. I don’t like teams that are content with finishing mid-table: I fought to win, and under my leadership Napoli changed their mentality and started trying to win. "

I could also add going to Juventus to my resume in 2010. But I was at Liverpool at the time and had some contact with them. I was very interested, but in the end it didn't happen. I would rather not say why.

About my successor and the future

I don't see my successor in today's football world, although many of my disciples have become coaches. . Among them, I did not expect to see Chivu on the coaching bench. As a coach, you can usually tell which players will become coaches in the future. I did not expect him to do so, but I think he will do a good job because he is smart and has a good team. "

I am now working with UEFA and considering whether to come back and maybe coach a national team that inspires me. But I wanted to play to win and there was a national team that was chasing me to take me to the World Cup, but I didn't like the idea of ​​going there and losing all the games and then going home right away. That's not for me. "