Well, we still got Sacchi, don't we. I did blame Real's recovery in the second half of the season more on Sacchi than Luxemburgo (I thought that the counter attacking system looked more "Italian" than "Brazilian"), so this far I think I don't have a lot to give to Luxemburgo....this piece of news is a little disturbing though. A possible cocaine addiction, tax evasion, leaving teams in mid-season, problems with his secretary (even his date of birth is illegal?), and an equally great resume in achievements and in great disasters. Brazilians constantly blaming him for being a hard head who needs to have players who do what they are told (and his Brazil was the worst one seen in recent years, taking into account that Brazil can't really never do too bad with the players they have, they almost didn't qualify for the WC loosing games they had never lost before)...he can't really do that here though (nobody can, telling some of our players what to do), but his insistance in not playing with the wings, not signing any wingers, playing people who are not wingers there (Baptista on the left, the most powerful player you can have in the center??), in that idea that you don't need wings...well (did he think of that while high?). Thanks god we have Sacchi and a powerful team this year. Somehow they will all get it straight. Benitez, come soon.....
Even before I knew the name Rafael Benitez, I was wondering why Madrid didn't go after the manager of Valencia, considering how well they did with so few resources... And when he went to liverpool I was frowning again and wondering if we'd missed someone special.. Oh well.
Benitez started out coaching at Real, in the youth teams. He is a man of the house, somebody well known there. This is the problem though, even after going through Valencia it seems it wasn't enough for Real Madrid, in spite of him showing that he is the best coach in La Liga, and now in Europe. Real however has tried several coaches with his profile lately (Del Bosque, Remon, Camacho....) He will come back though, the problem is that projects like his at the EPL are years long. In England they don't fire coaches from one year to the other, they give them space and time to grow, usually more than just a year or two like we do (it seems like decades in some cases). Benitez knows this, he has stability, fame, money, respect....Florentino is going to have to beg or wait quite a few years until Benitez's Liverpool project is finished. He will end up at Real though one way or the other, there is no doubt in my mind, and probably in his.
None of these Luxemburgo charges are new. The article is basically a rehash. And the majority of the allegations have been disproved. Still there are at least two more issues out there - and the conviction for tax evasion. I think Luxa's self-confidence & his ability to bounce back have kept him in the game. It is not easy being the RM coach - every Madrista has a strong opinion! I have to say that I have seen little of Luxa's tactical ingenuity. But he has been consistant & inspirational, so I am hopeful he can get the team mixture right. Perez made a big mistake going for Camacho rather than Benitez. And though the timing was off, I wonder if we are going to feel the same way about Quique Flores. What he did with Getafe was nothing short of sensational.
Hopefully Luxa won't mess things up with the lineup we have this year, including a reinvigorated Zidane. And Woody's training with the U-17s . . . I'm not eating my hat yet, but I've started looking for one. It'll be great if he can get back to playing top flight football after such a prolonged absence.
Ah yes. Camacho never trained at the A level (I don't count the NT and Benfica in the A, unlike I do making a winning Valencia at all levels), and he was given the call. Benitez had already proven his worth at the highest level with Valencia (therefore his success with Liverpool makes plenty of sense) Quique still hasn't so he is there now, following Benitez's footsteps. If he does make it at Valencia though I hope Florentino doesn't make the same mistake, as you very well just pointed out.
I always thought that the Camacho hiring was a mistake. He is hard-headed, and unwilling to change, and that doesn't work with the galicticos...