What did Moshiri say?
Speaking to the club’s website, Moshiri said, “He has one of the most impressive CVs in world football. He knows how to build winning football teams. Look at the job he did at [team 214], for example.
“At a time when [team 3468] and [team 83] were investing heavily in global superstars, against all odds he led Valencia to their first La Liga title in 31 years, and then added another [league 564] title and a UEFA Cup for good measure.
“He has demonstrated at a number of clubs he can help them take the next step – and step up to the very highest level.
“We spoke to many people in the game during our search and the feedback we had on Rafa was extremely positive.
“He’s considered to have one of the best tactical minds in the game and I think his experience and know-how will be vital in helping us to push up the table and into the European places.
“In our personal meetings with him, that vast knowledge and footballing intelligence was very evident – and very impressive.”
“It was important for us to take our time and find the right person.
“We identified the qualities we wanted, and then spoke with various candidates. It was a thorough and extensive process.
“We were determined to do our due diligence, identify a shortlist of strong candidates who fit into our vision for the club and, ultimately, appoint the right man – and I believe we have done this.”
Rafa’s time at Liverpool
When [team 8] miraculously completed their comeback against [team 113] to win the [league 2] in 2005, their manager Benitez was instrumental in the success. His time at Liverpool is filled with mixed emotions due to some off-field issues with club icon [coach 50].
During [coach 455387]’s tenure, Liverpool were looking closer than ever to win the [league 8]. Despite not having the financial backing like [team 14], [team 18] and [team 9], Rafa still challenged by getting the best out of the squad his disposal.
The improvement of some of the players was impressive. Gerrard was in the form of his life during Rafa’s reign. He was given more license to break into the box. Gerrard’s partnership with [player 492] was another extraordinary example of Rafa’s tactical flexibility.
In the 2008/09 season, Liverpool were looking set to win the Premier League after being top at Christmas. For the majority of that season, Liverpool were brilliant, with Torres being in the form of his life. However, that form somehow dried away towards the end of the season. Liverpool eventually finished four points off the champions, Manchester United.
Despite not winning the league with the reds, he left the supporters with some of the best memories. Liverpool fans still remember those days and admit that maybe, Rafa wasn’t as dynamic as [coach 455353], but in his own way, he made Liverpool football club feel special again.
During his time at Liverpool, Rafa called [team 13] a “small club”. Now, with him being appointed the new manager of the toffees, the relationship with the fans could be slightly toxic.
Author: Devashish Akolekar
