Arbeloa v Alonso: Benitez on his former players turned managers

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez expressed surprise that his former players, now managers, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa would venture into coaching. The pair, who played together for seven years at club and country, will face each other as Arbeloa's Fulham hosts Alonso's Chelsea on Monday. Alonso, who Benitez brought to Liverpool in 2004, has experience in coaching at a different level in the Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen.

Benitez praises Alonso's vision on the pitch and his experiences playing for Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, which have broadened his coaching perspective. Arbeloa, promoted from Real Madrid B to replace Alonso, has also taken on his first Premier League managerial role. The pair, close friends despite being rivals on the pitch, live near each other in Surrey with their children attending the same school.

Benitez highlights the value former players bring to coaching, noting that they can impart specific lessons that benefit their new teams. Despite recently being sacked from his role at Panathinaikos, Benitez remains motivated by his passion for the game and desire to improve teams and players, expressing willingness to take on new challenges.