rafa lays the boot into valdano

[Mike]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=39489

 

Benitez slams Valdano over "s*** on stick" rap

tribalfooball.com - May 15, 2007

 

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has hit back at Jorge Valdano over his "s*** on a stick" comments after their Champions League semi against Chelsea.

Benitez told AS: "Look, the people at this club working to obtain objectives deserve respect, deep respect. And I believe what was said has shown a lack of respect to the club, the fans, who are something sacred as is our stadium, Anfield.

 

 

"Talking about 's*** on a stick' and other unjust descriptions, for me, shows an absolute ignorance of the historical reality of this organisation in the world-wide scheme of football. And I am talking about Mr Jorge Valdano, a person I have known for 20 years, since we were working with the junior teams of Real Madrid and someone I do not regard highly in the professional aspect. Nevertheless, I have not gone his way to attack him through the media."

 

Benitez declared: "It simply infuriates me that a person who has the privilege of being able to express himself through the mass media does not do it with honour and education. And I repeat, does not do so by showing little respect to an organisation like Liverpool, with it's success and enviable history."

 

He went on: "Look at our Champions League form. The first game against Barcelona at Anfield. It was spectacular. And against Galatasaray, Bordeaux, PSV ... "

 

Benitez also fired a broadside at Valdano: "I know what he's like. He has a lot to be grateful for to people like (former Real identities) Ramon Martinez, Angel Cappa and Alberto Giraldez, to mention only some examples of where a coach and sports director work well together. People, that we all say, contributed more to a project than has been acknowledged.

 

"I feel he (Valdano) was at the forefront of the press conferences and when the medals were being handed out, while the real professionals with talent were always in the shade."

[Lee W]

F'ckin right.

[Jay Blizzay]

Should have t****** him as well

 

Ah well, our teamtalk for the finals done

[Falconhoof]

Well in Rafa. Stick it to him.

[Guest Steve]

Well in Rafa.

[Benitez]

blimey!

 

So I'm guessing Rafa and Valdano don't get on.

[Guest Steve]

Rafa should do his press conferences in Spanish, I'd love to see him let rip at some piss taking journo.

[johngibo YPC]

blimey!

 

So I'm guessing Rafa and Valdano don't get on.

 

doesn't seem to have any respect for him at all does he!

 

Found it interesting to read Rafa expressing himself in his native tongue

[Stevie H]

way to attract rafa to the madrid job, jorge.

[Frosty Jack]

that makes me so proud

[Romario]

Ouch. Now that's a proper calculated attack.

[McBain]

Well in Rafa. Stick it to him.

 

with s*** on?

[Benitez]

way to attract rafa to the madrid job, jorge.

 

 

don't think Valdano works for Real Madrid anymore.

[Skillz]

blimey!

 

So I'm guessing Rafa and Valdano don't get on.

 

Thats a good guess i reckon.

 

Really glad Rafa responded to this. He has once again done it at a good time and more importantly put the bloke right back in his place.

 

He's a class act is Rafa. He has dismissed Jose in the media like a rag doll IMO. When it comes to media engagements i have more faith in Rafa than i do with his chances in a ECL tie.

 

He is a star and it is just beginning to rise, IMO

[Stanley Leisure]

Great response, that.

[Maldini]

"How to destroy a man in one statement" by Rafa Benitez will be in all good bookshops from Monday

[Guest Mohjo]

Translation credit goes to "Spanish Fan" a poster from RAWK.

 

The original interview was made by Balague for Diario AS

 

http://www.as.com/

 

Liverpool have reached another European Cup final, but in Spain some people are still debating your football style....

 

You see, if there is something this club deserves, that is respect. And I believe somebody are not respecting the club, its supporters, and something as sacred as our Anfield stadium.

 

...talking about "s*** hanging from a stick" and other unfair descriptions from someone who I believe doesn't know the history of this club...I am talking about Jorge Valdano, whom I know for more than 20 years since we met at the youth teams of Real Madrid, and of whom I don't have the best opinion from as a professional. Yet I haven't gone out there to the media to attack him. From what I know about him he has a lot to be grateful to people like Ramón Martínez, Cappa o Giráldez, to mention only a few people when he was a coach and sporting director. People who helped far more to his success than their low profile indicated. I have the feeling that for him the press conferences and medals were his only worries whereas the real professionals were working in the shadow.

 

Even his football ideas , his football philosophy as he likes to say was borrowed from someone else. In this case from Dante Panzeri, an Argentinian journalist who wrote the book "Fútbol, dinámica de lo impensado". And also from Menotti and Cappa, the latter has been the one who always guided him as a professional coach. On personal matters I don't want to go into them, but I can't have a high opinion on someone who criticized so lightly someone like Mourinho who has won so many titles and especially criticizing a club like Liverpool who have reached 7 finals, winning three since we have been around. He gets angrier....(Balague) I just get pissed off about someone who has the chance to speak to the media and does not show respect to a club like Liverpool, with a great history and trophy list.

 

(Balague) it is the old debate between good football (passing game) and bad football (more tactical). Is it not a simplistic and harmful debate?

 

Sometime ago I read a good article by Juan Manuel Gozalo. In that article he talked about the beauty of a good and honest tackle, of winning the ball in the air, or to go to ground to win the ball. Why beauty has to be associated only to back heels, nutmegs, and short passes? Everyone to his own tastes. Every coach wants to play well, and of course to win. But playing well can not have a unique meaning, nobody has the right to tell the rest what it is to play well. At the Camp Nou Liverpool played well. And not only there. I am very pleased of the way we played at Anfield against Barcelona in the first half. It was brilliant. And also against Galatasaray, Girondings, PSV. Against Chelsea? Nobody has given us any presents.

 

Do you feel that your work is more appreciated in Liverpool, even in England than in your own country?

 

IN general, in England they respect professionals more. They may criticize you, but if you win something important, they will be grateful and will value it for life. In Spain you can't generalize. There is also people over there that value our work from long ago. And of course we are grateful to them.

 

Is it right to say that the Athens final is a Battle between a team that likes to play good football and another team that prefers to counterattack?

You see, I have a deep respect for Milan and his coach, especially after the way they played against a great team like Manchester United. To be honest, it was a great tie. We all love that kind of football, but in a final everyone must use his weapons to achieve victory.

 

Would you share a bottle of wine with Ancelotti?

 

Of course, He deserves my respect. In the final two years ago he did what he had to do. They were 3-0 up and when the game started to change badly for them he did what he had to do considering his options. The final was very even and we were lucky to find a way to stop them. Then we won on penalties. I say it again. Ancelotti is an excellent coach.

 

The anxiety, the thirst for revenge that Gatusso is showing, ... can that benefit Liverpool?

 

That may be more flashy headlines than the opinions of the footballer. I don't know. The only thing I ca say is that we are playing 11 against 11 (and Kewell is among those eleven Grin, that's mine)

 

And then Liverpool are going to La Manga, to rest and to play golf.....

 

I don't play golf. Some players do. But I don't think anyone is going to lose focus....Everyone is up for it and we all know how much is at stake.

[Puskas]

What a class interview. Thanks for posting the full thing.

 

Would you share a bottle of wine with Ancelotti?

 

Of course, He deserves my respect. In the final two years ago he did what he had to do. They were 3-0 up and when the game started to change badly for them he did what he had to do considering his options. The final was very even and we were lucky to find a way to stop them. Then we won on penalties. I say it again. Ancelotti is an excellent coach.

Note to Jose Mourinho - you have to give respect to get respect. Demanding respect never gains you any.

[Ostrich Man]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=39489

the fans, who are something sacred as is our stadium, Anfield.

 

have you started building the new one yet?

[Stevie H]

rafa's spanish interviews are always really interesting.

[JohnnyH]

A good response is a one line putdown. Rafas response was just a retort to Valdanos. Nothing amazing in it. I'd rather he just ignored it and didn't give valdans pointles comments any more airtime. That would have been the perfect response as it would show that Valdano just doesn't matter to rafa. Just my opinion like.

[Guest Steve]

Aye, we're Liverpool, lets just let everyone walk all over us. It's the classy thing to do.

 

I think it was Valdano who got rid of Rafa when he was manager at RM. So there's a bit of history and bad blood there anyway.

[Benitez]

A good response is a one line putdown. Rafas response was just a retort to Valdanos. Nothing amazing in it. I'd rather he just ignored it and didn't give valdans pointles comments any more airtime. That would have been the perfect response as it would show that Valdano just doesn't matter to rafa. Just my opinion like.

 

 

I'm amazed it took till the 20th post for the wet blanket repsonse, I was expecting it around post 8 or 9

 

It's a class response, with a bit of thought to it, and well worthy of saying, in a proper interview, rather than some cackhanded response during a press conference.

[JohnnyH]

Aye, we're Liverpool, lets just let everyone walk all over us. It's the classy thing to do.

 

I think it was Valdano who got rid of Rafa when he was manager at RM. So there's a bit of history and bad blood there anyway.

 

Yep, that's exactly what I said. Let just let everyone walk all over us. That's clearly what I meant whenI said Rafa should have ignored Valdano in my opinion.

 

Last week I said that I didn't care if Rafa played a weakened team in the league with the CL in mind. What I meant by that was that we should stop football altogether at Anfield and knock down the ground to make way for a shopping centre.

 

I'm amazed it took till the 20th post for the wet blanket repsonse, I was expecting it around post 8 or 9

 

It's a class response, with a bit of thought to it, and well worthy of saying, in a proper interview, rather than some cackhanded response during a press conference.

 

 

Glad I waited then. What's so class about it?

[mally]

win or lose in the final rafa is the best boss in the the world. he just has so much class.