Madrid legend slams Benitez and Mourinho
Former World Cup-winner Jorge Valdano has fiercely criticised the
style of football produced by Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez,
claiming it stems from their failure to find success as
players.
The Argentinian, a legend at Real Madrid where he played, coached
and was most recently sporting director, has criticised Chelsea
boss Mourinho and Liverpool counterpart Benitez following the
uninspiring Champions League semi-final tie between the English
sides.
'Football is made up of subjective feeling, of suggestion - and, in
that, Anfield is unbeatable. Put a s*** hanging from a stick in the
middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who
will tell you it's a work of art. It's not: it's a s*** hanging
from a stick,' he wrote in Spanish newspaper Marca.
'Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest, most exaggerated example
of the way football is going: very intense, very collective, very
tactical, very physical, and very direct.
'But, a short pass? No. A feint? No. A change of pace? No. A
one-two? A nutmeg? A backheel? Don't be ridiculous. None of that.
The extreme control and seriousness with which both teams played
the semi-final neutralised any creative licence, any moments of
exquisite skill.'
Despite his father's status in the game as a former Portugal
goalkeeper, Mourinho never played professionally and instead
focused his sights on a coaching future while Benitez also only
achieved success by working his way up the coaching structure,
having failed to make an appearance in the Primera Liga.
Valdano believes that has led to a degree of cynicism as
managers.
'The lives of Mourinho and Benitez have crossed in a world that is
ever more scrutinised and exposed by the media, which is why they
look at each other with such distrust.
'But they have two things in common: a previously denied, hitherto
unsatisfied hunger for glory, and a desire to have everything under
control.
'Both of those things stem from one key factor: neither Mourinho
nor Benitez made it as a player. That has made them channel all
their vanity into coaching.
'Those who did not have the talent to make it as players do not
believe in the talent of players, they do not believe in the
ability to improvise in order to win football matches. In short,
Benitez and Mourinho are exactly the kind of coaches that Benitez
and Mourinho would have needed to have made it as
players.'
