Rafa Benitez has backed Carlo Ancelotti ‘to restore Real Madrid’s values’ and explained why he wanted Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol this summer.
The former Madrid B team and Valencia Coach is this summer preparing for work in the new season with Serie A side Napoli.
With Ancelotti similarly preparing for a new role with Los Blancos, the 53-year-old has sent a message of support.
“We have a very good relationship. He is a good Coach, a good person and I believe that he will recover, somehow, the values of Real Madrid that had been lost in the desire to win at all costs,” reflected Benitez this week in conversation with Eurosport.
“I think that Madrid has always been a team that has had to win with superiority and had lost this side of things a little and somehow he will recover that.”
Benitez has been linked with a move this summer for Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain, with it reported that a deal is already agreed and just waiting the player’s approval. The Vesuviani are also paired with Leandro Damiao.
“Yes there are many names out there. They are good players. With some, of course, there has been contact and things are more or less closed.
“But usually I do not talk about players because I think this is how it should be, thinking to the benefit of any operation that you want to perform.”
Any move for Higuain would be the third deal between Napoli and Madrid this summer, after Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol’s moves out to the peninsula.
“I hope that they bring quality, provide us with international experience. This is a team that has done well in the Italian championship and for that step forward that the President wants to give the team and the city, we are going to need players with experience.
“So I asked for Callejon and Albiol, players of Real Madrid, who would make things easy for me, they are players that know what is required, it is easy to communicate with them and they have plenty of experience at European level, so we are looking to their adaptation to be a little quicker.”
