Rafa Benitez urges Real Madrid to appoint Carlo Ancelotti

Rafa Benitez

Napoli manager Rafa Benitez is urging Real Madrid to appoint Carlo Ancelotti as their manager. Benitez believes that the Italian manager will take control of the dressing room with more finesse than Mourinho.

Benitez, who had previously coached Liverpool and even battled Ancelotti’s AC Milan during the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals, has vouched his full support for Carlo Ancelotti succeeding Jose Mourinho as Real Madrid boss.

“I know him well from Milan because of the finals in Athens and Istanbul and we had a very good relationship when we were both in the Premier League,” Benitez said during an inteview with Spanish newspaper AS. “I think it’s the correct choice because he will a conciliator in the dressing room and inside the club. I think the club will appreciate that change.”

Benitez also revealed that he had once turned down an offer to coach Real Madrid and it was all because of Napoli’s president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, that he ended up with the Serie A club.

“When Madrid did call me several years ago, I was already committed to Liverpool; since then, they haven’t called me,” he added.

“I’m here because the president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, flew out to London to meet me. He made a great effort and that showed me that he must be serious about bringing me in to be the head of the club’s project.”

The Spanish manager also directed an insinuating comment towards Mourinho, saying that his replacement at Chelsea had gone beyond the line of sportsmanship.

“I don’t know what Mourinho does. I know what I do: I always want to win, without crossing the line of sportsmanship,” Benitez said. “It’s true that I get on better with some coaches than others and I align myself with those that don’t value winning at any cost.”

Source: ESPN FC