By sportswriter Michael Butterworth
BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- New Dalian Yifang head coach Rafa Benitez has hit back at claims from Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley that he only moved to China for the money, instead referring to the Chinese Super League side as his "best option".
Having won much praise for establishing the Magpies in the Premier League on a meager budget, Benitez left the side after his contract ended in June and then signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Dalian, prompting Ashley to accuse the Spaniard of being motivated primarily by money and "taking the soft option" in going to China.
However, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Benitez dismissed Ashley's assertions, claiming that he had turned down several more lucrative job opportunities while still under contract at Newcastle.
"I was not happy when he was talking about me leaving Newcastle because of the money," Benitez told Xinhua. "I said no to very, very big offers, and even last year, I was saying no to big offers, but I decided to stay because of the fans, the city and the potential.
The Spaniard continued, "We were waiting for a solution at Newcastle which was not forthcoming. We had options [to go to different clubs] but when we had to decide, it was a very simple decision because Dalian was the best option we had. People were saying it was big money, but Dalian were pushing really hard to get me and my staff, and we are really pleased because they showed so much interest."
The 2005 UEFA Champions League-winning coach added that his decision to come to Dalian had been swayed by the club's commitment to investing in youth and training facilities, an area that he felt had been neglected at Newcastle.
"I am a professional and I want to win, but I also want to build something and leave a legacy," noted the 59-year-old. "The training ground and the project with the youth system is amazing. This year, we are creating [football] schools for 6-10 year olds, bringing in coaches from Spain, so we will organize everything in terms of the academy and youth system."
In coming to Dalian, Benitez is reunited with former players Marek Hamsik and Salomon Rondon, who played under the Spaniard at Napoli and Newcastle respectively. But though the influx of established foreign stars to the CSL in recent years has turned many heads, Benitez stressed that it is the league's homegrown players who hold the key to any success a team may have.
"The Chinese players make the difference, because there are eight of them on the pitch," said Benitez, citing CSL regulations restricting the number of overseas players on the field of play to just three. "The foreign players can win some games, but you have to be sure that the other players keep you in the game. You can go and try to find the best foreign players, but the key is to have very good Chinese players with the right mentality, and we are trying to build that."
Since officially taking over at Dalian on July 2, Benitez has seen his club climb from 10th to 7th in the 2019 CSL table, and also has a crucial Chinese FA Cup semifinal tie against Shanghai Shenhua to look forward to. And while the possibility of silverware in his first season at the club is sure to excite the fans, Benitez hopes the hallmark of his Dalian side will be hard work and a willing mentality.
"The Dalian fans are very similar to Liverpool or Newcastle fans, because they are passionate, they love the team, and what they want is a team that cares and works hard. So what should they expect? A team that tries to win, a team that will be competitive and will care, and I think the fans will appreciate that. Hopefully we can see something good so we will be in the final of the Cup!"
