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Home , Claudio Ranieri, Guus Hiddink, Manuel Pellegrini, Pep Guardiola

'Very knowledgeable' will be a success at City, says Rafa Benitez 22:30, 20 Feb 2016 By Neil Moxley

The former Real boss spoke in glowing terms of the soon-to-be City manager who he met during their respective spells at and Barcelona

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Driven: Benitez says Guardiola's will to win will see him succeed at the Etihad

Pep Guardiola will bring a new focus and a drive to win at Manchester City. Most importantly of all however, he will also bring success. That was the verdict of Rafael Benitez as his attentions turned back to English football this week after his European adventure ended. A two-season spell with Napoli - which contained an Italian Cup win - was followed by the realisation of a dream with Real Madrid. Sadly for Benitez – despite a glut of goals – he was sacked for reasons that have never become clear On Sunday, as he passes verdict on the FA Cup showdown at Stamford Bridge, he salutes the job done by but suggests also that the Chilean’s replacement is worth the hype. Getty Images

High praise: Benitez credited the work done by Manuel Pellegrini at Man City

He said: “Pellegrini is a very good manager – and a nice person as well. What Guardiola does or doesn’t do will not change that fact. “I have a lot of respect for Pellegrini. Manchester City have won trophies under him. Let’s not forget that. “As for Guardiola, I first met him a few years ago when Barcelona were playing at Valencia. The club had invited me over to receive what they call ‘a golden pin’ in recognition of the work I had done. “At the time, he was in charge at Barca and we had a chat. I was impressed. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about his coaching and management. AFP/Getty

Successor: Guardiola will take over from Pellegrini after three years at Bayern Munich

“I understand he works in a very methodical way. He is someone that will do well because first, he is a hard worker. But he is also driven to succeed. Very motivated to do well. “It will be interesting to see what he does with the team. He likes players who can keep the ball, so these are the ones Manchester City will be looking for this summer. There will be a different feeling about them. And I expect Manchester City to strengthen in the summer as well. “So if you ask me if he will be successful overall, I have to say that I think he will.” The Spaniard will be an interested spectator on Sunday afternoon as Stamford Bridge plays host to the tie of this year’s fifth round. Three in a row? Guardiola has won back-to-back titles with Bayern He left West on good terms with owner . Despite a tricky relationship with Chelsea’s supporters following his appointment, he eventually won them round too. Winning football matches helped. Chelsea qualified for the Champions League and won the Europa League while Benitez was in charge. Since then, he has seen settle down the Blues after the circus that followed Jose Mourinho’s exit. He said: “I’ve been keeping a close eye on the . It’s always interesting – everyone knows that anything can happen in English football. Everyone is talking about Leicester City. Can they win it? “I’d have to answer, ‘Yes.’ They are doing really well under , they have a good spirit and great work-rate. They are well-organised and clinical.

“They don’t have the Champions League or Europa League to distract them so they can concentrate on the Premier League. “And of course I’ve been watching what has happened to Chelsea. “I think they are going in the right direction now. Guus Hiddink has done a great job. “They will do well in the short-term because they still have good players at the club. After that, it is difficult to tell. Obviously, if leaves it will leave a big hole to fill. “I know that there are not too many good centre-backs anywhere in world football that can operate at the level Chelsea require. “In the past, the club has done well with its scouting. But they will need to find a good one, for sure.” Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale can be the best player in the world, says former boss Rafa Benitez 22:30, 20 Feb 2016 By Neil Moxley

The recently departed Madrid manager paid tribute to the Welsh flyer after working with him for seven months describing him as 'a very solid professional who listened'

Always getting better: Benitez said he saw constant improvement from Gareth Bale at Madrid

Gareth Bale could establish himself as the world’s best – if he keeps up the hard work, writes Neil Moxley in the Sunday People. That’s the view of his former boss Rafael Benitez who was working with the star at Real Madrid until last month. The ex-Liverpool and Chelsea chief believes the Welshman’s desire to improve could see him become the undisputed number one. Benitez said: “I never had a moment’s problem with Gareth. He was a very solid professional who listened. “He did his work on the pitch and in the gym too. “But what I see in him most is improvement. There are areas of his game that he continues to work on. He can get better. “Obviously, he’s a very good player now. But in a couple years if he carries on, I don’t see any reason why he could not be regarded as the best.”

Rafa Benitez backs 's decision to appoint Pako Ayestaran as Valencia assistant 08:48, 21 Feb 2016 By Neil Moxley

The former Manchester United great, who has struggled since assuming control at the Mestella, has taken Benitez’s one-time assistant to help

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Good move: Benitez has backed Ayesteran's Valencia appointment Gary Neville may have pulled off a master-stroke after appointing Pako Ayestaran to his staff at Valencia. The former Manchester United great, who has struggled since assuming control at the Mestella, has taken Benitez’s one-time Anfield assistant to help . One reason for Neville’s failure to get across his message to the players has been an inability to speak Spanish. But because Ayestaran is fluent in both languages, it will now be easier for the head coach to get his message across. Ex-Liverpool boss Benitez is revered in Valencia – a few seasons ago he was awarded a golden pin and feted as the greatest manager in the club’s history – and he believes that bringing in Ayestaran could earn him precious time to turn the situation around. He said: “It was not an easy situation for Gary . He’s coming from another country and you need time to weigh up what you are coming into.

Getty Duo: Rafa and Pako worked together at Liverpool

“Valencia is a great place. A wonderful city with fantastic fans. “But Gary needs time to look at the players he has, the club he is working for. He has also been playing two matches a week. “So that makes the situation difficult. When do you work other than preparing the team for matches? Reuters Tough time: Neville has struggled so far with Los Che

”But I feel he has added Pako that they will improve. Pako has experience of coaching, Gary has experience of playing at the top level. The owner does have to decide what he wants to do. Where he wants to take the club. “But there is no doubt that it will be a great experience for him. It may not feel like it at the moment but he will look back and be glad he has done it.”