Rafa not keen on English rivals March 12 2008
Rafael Benitez has hailed Liverpool's consistency in Europe, but admits he prefers not to face their English counterparts in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
The Reds mentor commended his charges for overcoming the unsettling flux that has has surrounded the club in the past few months, which included the Spaniard's job coming under threat on more than one occasion.
But the astute tactician has proved his worth in Europe and following Liverpool's triumph against Inter Milan, Benitez maintains his team are a genuine, consistent, European force again.
He said: "It is not easy for anyone to win in the San Siro, it is not easy to win anywhere away in Europe, so we have again showed the standards we can achieve.
"Over the last four seasons we have always qualified from the group stages, that shows the level that the club has achieved.
"We won the Champions League for the first time in 21 years, and every season since then we have qualified for the knockout stages.
"Everyone is now talking about Liverpool and they are expected to be in Europe, because we have been achieving that consistently. That is very positive and we must be very proud of that fact.
"Also going to two finals is fantastic, but the consistency of being in the later stages of the Champions League regularly is very important for this club's image abroad."
With four English teams in the quarter-finals the chances of meeting a Premier League rival is high, but Benitez would rather avoid another match against Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United.
He said: "Our form is coming good at just the right time of the season.
"I would be happy to play another English team in the final but for now, with the quarter-final draw coming up, I would prefer we were drawn against a non-English team because everyone knows that the top three in the Premier League are all outstanding. Very strong.
"The fact that four English clubs are in the quarter-finals shows that the Premier League is one of the best leagues in Europe and the world.
"The quality of the top four, the quality of the players, shows our league is very strong."