Arbeloa v Alonso: Benitez on his former players turned managers

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has shared his thoughts on his former players Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, who have since become managers. Benitez revealed that while he expected Alonso to become a manager, Arbeloa was a surprise to him. Alonso and Arbeloa, who played together for seven years at club level and shared the pitch 262 times, will face each other in a match between Alonso's Chelsea and Arbeloa's Fulham on Monday.

Benitez noted that Arbeloa, who was promoted from Real Madrid B to replace Alonso at Real Madrid, knows the Premier League better than Alonso, who has slightly more experience in the league. Despite being good friends off the pitch, the pair are rivals when playing. Benitez emphasized that their friendship will never change. Alonso had coaching experience in the Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen and at Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola, which contributed to his vision and understanding of the game.

Benitez also highlighted the impact Alonso had in a 2009 game against Blackburn, where he made a strategic decision that led to Liverpool's victory. Benitez noted that many of his former Liverpool players have gone on to become managers, including Craig Bellamy, and that they all take something from their time with him as a coach.