Hard times ahead for Benítez

By Andy Hall

Fresh from taking the Spanish title from Real Madrid CF, Valencia CF coach Rafael Benítez has the chance to turn a great season into a truly remarkable one as his team face Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Cup final in Gothenburg.

No complacency
The 44-year-old led Valencia to their first league championship in 30 years in his first season in charge in 2001/02, but he has yet to claim a European honour. And while the bookmakers may favour his side in the final, the coach is taking nothing for granted.

Even contest
"From my point of view, there are hardly ever clear favourites in finals," the former Madrid youth-team coach told uefa.com. "Maybe the press see things differently but I'm sure the strength and motivation of both teams will be the same."

Form book
With domestic rivals Madrid and RC Deportivo La Coruña having bowed out of the UEFA Champions League against less celebrated opponents, the coach needs little reminding that the form book goes out of the window during major games.

Villarreal lesson
"We learned our lesson in the semi-final against Villarreal CF," said Benítez. "That match taught us that we cannot afford to be relaxed at any point and under no circumstances can we be over-confident against Marseille. We learned and applied that during the semis and I hope we do the same in the final.

Cup struggle
"We have to remind ourselves of the kind of difficulties we have faced to get to the final. If we remember the struggle and effort we have been through, which we will undoubtedly go through again against Marseille, then we will be able to confront this final with the utmost determination."

Potential pitfall
Valencia were confirmed as Primera División champions two weekends ago, which is both a relief and a potential pitfall for the coach. "It helps in one sense because it means that the team has been performing well and that breeds confidence," he said. "The only downside is that we do not want to be over-confident."

Determined opponents
Complacency could indeed be deadly against a Marseille side whose spirit has impressed the former Real Valladolid, CA Osasuna, CD Tenerife and CF Extremadura trainer. Benítez said: "They are a great team who defend very well and are hard-working and skilled at launching counterattacks.

'A quality side'
"They have excellent strikers - perhaps Didier Drogba is the one who has really caught the eye for them recently. So we are up against a quality side and we cannot afford to drop our guard for a second."

Summer changes
Despite winning the Spanish title and reaching this final, Benítez hinted that major signings could follow in the summer as Valencia prepare for the Champions League, saying: "Practically every club will have to make changes and I suppose Valencia will be no different."

Sparkling season
However, for Wednesday's game, the spotlight will be on the coach's current ensemble, and as he was at pains to point out, not even defeat in Gothenburg could remove the lustre from what has been a sparkling season at the Mestalla stadium.

Final flourish
"When you win your league and reach the UEFA Cup final then you can happily say you have achieved all you set out to do," he said. "The team has already got top marks - winning the final would just be the cherry on the cake."