Benitez aims to copy Spanish style
Reuters - Monday 12 July 2010, 13:35
MILAN - Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez
believes his new side can partially imitate the passing style
which took his native Spain to World Cup glory.
The former Liverpool boss took his first day of training at
the Champions League winners on Monday and plans a few changes
despite predecessor Jose Mourinho also sealing a domestic double
last term.
"The style of the Spain national team is based on ball
possession and quality players and it will be good if we can
imitate them," Benitez, who worked with Spain coach Vincente Del
Bosque at Real Madrid's youth academy, told reporters.
"Italian football is tactically good, intelligent football
and if we can combine the two styles, I think the team will be
stronger."
He refused to discuss reports linking Inter with Liverpool
midfielder Javier Mascherano, saying the club's sporting
director Marco Branca would deal with such issues in what he
expects to be a quiet transfer window.
"In England I was a manager. Here I am a coach," Benitez
said, although he added that Inter's existing Argentine ball
winner Esteban Cambiasso could play with anyone, including
Mascherano.
He said nothing had been decided about the possible
departures of Maicon to Real or Mario Balotelli to Manchester
City and that he wanted to speak to the players first and maybe
change teenage rebel Balotelli's training regime.
Benitez will also alter general training methods and use
more youngsters compared to new Real boss Mourinho, whose side
won May's Champions League final without an Italian in the
starting lineup just weeks before Italy flopped at the World
Cup.
The Spaniard also hopes to have a more jovial relationship
with the Italian media than the confrontational Portuguese.
"We need to change something here in the press room. It's
like a sauna. We need to install air conditioning," he joked
before saying he was struggling getting used to driving on the
right again after six years in England.
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