Ten games every weekend
Rafa Benitez provides an insight into the football obsession that has driven his coaching career.
Rafa Benitez admits that during the early part of his coaching career there was very little time for relaxation. His thirst for knowledge meant most days were consumed by football and not much else.“When I was younger I was watching eight or ten games every weekend; I was in the car and I was driving to games, eating a sandwich in the car. Now you say: ‘maybe this is not necessary’.
“At the time, maybe it was because I was coming from the University [where he studied], I was always asking ‘why?’. Trying to learn something from everyone, all the time I was analysing someone and taking my notes.”
Although such diligence would lead Benitez to some of the biggest jobs in the world game including spells with Liverpool and Inter Milan, earlier in his career the Spaniard's apparent lack of a playing career had been scrutinised. It is a detail he always refuted.
“Some people think if you haven’t played in the first division [the top league in Spain] they think you weren’t playing football. I was playing football all my life. I was in the youth teams of Real Madrid.”
I like to keep the ball, but if you have to play long you have to play long. It depends on the moment
He does agree, however, that the absence of a top-level playing career made him more determined to succeed: “when you have not been in the top division [as a player] you are analysing things even more” he adds.
It is how people spend time, not simply time itself, which Benitez cites as an important strand to coach development.
“You can be playing football all your life but you have not thought about the game. But you will have players playing just one or two years and they will analyse what is going on around.
"That is the key for me. It is not just to do things the same way all your life, but to change things and have different experiences.”
La Liga, The Premier League, and Serie A, have afforded Benitez a blend of different experiences. Acceptance, openness and humility have helped him adapt and achieve in other cultures.
“You need to know the culture of the country, the team, the tradition, and the things that they have. Then you see the players and all the different nationalities, and then you have to think a little bit about what they will see, what will they think. Then you have to think how can you express to them things that they will understand.”
You can attack even better if you are well organised
“You have to adapt to the club but you also have to have an idea. My idea is to always play well – but what is to 'play well?’ I like to keep the ball, but if you have to play long you have to play long. It depends on the moment.
"But always try to be organised and to keep balanced. If you are good in defence, people say you are ‘defensive’. No, that means you keep the balance. We always try to attack and we always try to score goals.”
"Possession is very important, but at the same time the structure and the organisation of the team gives the balance, and you can attack even better if you are well organised.”
Benitez believes that with age and experience comes wisdom. The Spaniard recalls the half-time team talk in Istanbul – where his Liverpool side overcame a 3-0 half time deficit to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final – to champion the benefits of the calmness that comes as you develop as a coach.
“You learn to be calm and to analyse things in a different way. Sometimes you put yourself under pressure and put your players under pressure [but] they need you to relax and to analyse things in a different way. The messages you transmit to the players will be different, it’s something you learn with age and experience.”
Maybe he's now relaxed enough to only cast his analytical eye over six to eight games each weekend.
Rafa Benitez is currently the manager of Chinese Super League side, Dalian Yifang.