‘The feeling was Jose Mourinho couldn’t be a Liverpool manager because of the way he conducted himself’: Jamie Carragher reveals why Rafa Benitez was preferred to his coaching rival at Anfield back in 2004
- Liverpool and Chelsea were in the market for a coach in the summer of 2004
- The Reds opted for Rafa Benitez while the Blues went in for Jose Mourinho
- Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has now voiced his reasons as to why
- Carragher says Mourinho didn’t suit ‘the Liverpool way of doing things’
Jamie Carragher says he always thought Liverpool would plump for Rafa Benitez as manager over Jose Mourinho because the Spaniard was ‘a little bit more standoffish.’
Both managers were held in high regard when they moved to English football in 2004 – Mourinho had just won the Champions League with Porto while Benitez had guided Valencia to the La Liga title.
However, although Mourinho’s name was mentioned following Gerard Houlier’s sacking at Anfield, former Reds centre back Carragher has given his reasons as to why Benitez was preferred that summer.
Jose Mourinho won the Champions League with Porto in 2004 and then joined Chelsea
Liverpool decided to go for Spanish manager Rafa Benitez, who had won La Liga with Valencia
‘Gerard Houllier had lost his job, and Rick Parry (chief executive) had interviewed Rafa Benitez at some stage,’ Carragher told Sky Sports’ football podcast.
‘He was just keeping the senior players informed about where they were up to, and he did mention Jose Mourinho.
‘I think even that run down the line, even though it was great, at Old Trafford, the feeling was at the club and maybe from certain players that it wasn’t really the Liverpool way of doing things.’
Mourinho stunned Europe as he guided unfancied Porto to European glory, but then moved to Liverpool’s rivals Chelsea.
He won two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge as well as two League Cups and an FA Cup, but never won in Europe.
Jamie Carragher, now a pundit for Sky Sports, says Mourinho’s style didn’t suit Liverpool
The former Reds centre back worked with Benitez for six years from 2004-2010
Benitez, contrastingly, struggled domestically during his six years at Anfield but famously won the Champions League in 2005.
Carragher continued: ‘I think the feeling was that Jose Mourinho couldn’t be a Liverpool manager, possibly because of the way he conducted himself at times.
“So I always thought we’d go for Rafa with him being a little bit more standoffish.’