Rafa Benitez wants an ‘English-style role’ at Real Madrid, with control over signings and the youth system.
AS reports the current Napoli Coach will, barring a shock, be confirmed as the replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked on Monday.
Benitez is to hold a Press conference on Thursday in Naples, at which it is expected he will confirm his departure from the Italian club.
Should Benitez, as expected, be taken on at Santiago Bernabeu, he wants to have full control over the first team and to restructure the Madrid cantera, so there is a clear delineation of authority.
Benitez is said to consider the youth system to be crucial and AS note it was a point of contention between the Coach and Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Goalkeepers’ coach Xavi Valero and analyst Antonio Gomez are expected to follow Benitez back to Spain and it has even been suggested that Napoli sporting director Riccardo Bigon could make the switch too, with responsibility for the youth set-up.
Benitez also wants to be heavily involved in transfers to avoid a repeat of his last job in La Liga, at Valencia, when he infamously claimed that ‘he asked for a chair and the club bought a lamp.’
