Pako: Liverpool FC is a truly special club - I still watch as many matches as possible
Linked with a return to Anfield as assistant to Brendan Rodgers, this is what Pako Ayestaran told the ECHO about his time at Liverpool
By James Pearce Pako Ayestaran has been linked with a return to Anfield today although no approach has yet been made to the Spaniard by Liverpool.
A popular figure as Rafa Benitez’s number two, little had been heard from the 52-year-old Spaniard about his departure from Liverpool in 2007 until earlier this year when he spoke exclusively to the ECHO’s James Pearce.
Covering his love for Liverpool, his relationship with Rafa and his hopes to return to manage in England one day, it gives a significant insight into the thoughts of a man who continues to spend every summer in the Wirral, keeping a house there just as his former partner Benitez has done.
“I watch as many Liverpool matches as I can and I still love the club,” he said.
“Brendan Rodgers has done an excellent job. The way Brendan approaches games is very enjoyable to watch. He likes his teams to attack and be positive.”
Here is a synopsis of that interview which took place in late March as he chased a history-making treble in Israel as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv, a target which was successfully achieved.Pako on his parting from RafaPako Ayestaran insists he didn’t betray Rafa Benitez but says he had to leave Liverpool FC because they were “going in different directions”.
The Spanish duo were close friends and had worked together for 11 years prior to Ayestaran quitting as the Reds’ No 2 in August 2007 following a series of disputes.
Benitez accused his assistant of “a betrayal” by talking to other clubs behind his back but Ayestaran denies that. The pair haven’t spoken since his exit.
“That’s not true. I never looked at any jobs behind his back,” Ayestaran told the ECHO.
“It’s true that I had offers from Spain but Rafa knew about them.
“No, I’ve not seen Rafa since. I’ve not been lucky.”
After three years at Liverpool which saw the club win both the Champions League and the FA Cup, Ayestaran says he left with a heavy heart.
“I would have loved to continue at the club for more years but the fact is I had stopped enjoying my work on a daily basis,” he said.
“I just felt Rafa and I were going in different directions in the way of wanting to do things. In terms of the training and the competitions, we were getting away from our principles.
“If you are not enjoying it then you are not a happy bunny, as you say in English. When that happens it’s time to move on."
On his love for Liverpool FC“If it had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been such a difficult decision. But because it was Liverpool it was very difficult.
“There are other good clubs but Liverpool is a truly special club. It’s not easy to find a similar environment but I have no regrets about leaving. If I was going to be fulfilled I needed to go somewhere else.
“When I look back on my time at Liverpool, I keep in my mind the positives. The great moments, great experiences and great people. The positives are more important than anything that happened towards the end of my time there.”
Ayestaran started out as a player at Real Sociedad’s Academy but hung up his boots at the age of 21 to focus on a career in coaching. He did his badges and got a degree in sports science.
He was a fitness coach at Osasuna when he met Benitez for the first time in 1996.
They struck up an instant rapport and went on to earn promotion with Extremadura and then Tenerife. The pair moved to Valencia in 2001 and won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup before Liverpool came calling in 2004.
After leaving the Reds, Ayestaran worked for Real Sociedad, Benfica, Valencia and Al Ahly in Dubai before moving into management.
In 2013 he headed to Mexico to take over at Estudiantes Tecos and then last August he landed the job at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
On becoming a manager“There was never any big plan to become a manager,” he added.
“It has been quite a natural process. When I was part of the backroom staff the only thing I was looking for was to feel important. To try to get my knowledge through and put that into the team. That fulfilled me.
“But there came a time when I started to see the game in a different way. You feel that you have things you want to give to the game.
“Little by little I felt that I wanted the chance to take my own way. After working for many different clubs, I felt it would be easier.
“When I arrived (in Israel) it wasn’t easy because the season had already started and I wasn’t involved in the building of the squad.
“It was a new country for me and I didn’t know much about the level of competition. I needed some time to get my ideas across but the adaptation period was pretty quick.
“We are doing well and this could be an historic season for the club. The treble has never been done by any club here before.
"That would be a great achievement but there’s still a long way to go.”
On working in lsraelTel Aviv general manager Jordi Cruyff, the former Barcelona and Manchester United midfielder, came calling after Oscar Garcia, the ex-Brighton boss, quit last summer.
Garcia claimed he walked away because of the security situation in Israel but Ayestaran has never had any concerns on that front.
“There are no issues for my work and my family and I feel perfectly safe,” he said.
“Tel Aviv is a lovely place to live. The weather is good and the people have been very welcoming. It’s quite far from the conflict.
“I had a meeting with Jordi the year before in Barcelona so we already knew each other. When he called and asked me to take charge, I had three offers from clubs in Mexico I was considering.
“But I decided to accept this challenge and I’m glad I did. I was lucky in that Jordi was here for two years before I arrived and he changed the structure of the club and made it a lot more professional. He changed the habits.
“This club had gone 10 years without winning the championship but they won it in 2013 and again last year. Now we want to make it three in a row.”
On life on MerseysideNearly eight years have passed since Ayestaran left Liverpool after his relationship with Benitez deteriorated but his attachment to both the club and the city remain.
“My second son is a Scouser,” he says proudly.
Ten-year-old Unai, 12-year-old Borja and their mother Zaida are now based with him in Tel Aviv, but the family have kept their house in Hoylake.
“My family and I love the Wirral,” he added.
“It feels like home around there and we’re very attached to it. We’ll be back there again this summer.
“I have so many unbelievable memories from my time at Liverpool. That was probably the best part of my life.
“That feeling of being part of the Liverpool family and being loved by the supporters.
“The respect everyone shows you in England but especially at Liverpool for the work you do, that’s impossible to feel anywhere else.”
On winning trophies with the Reds and why the didn't win the LeagueAfter making the move to Anfield with Benitez from Valencia in 2004, Ayestaran enjoyed three remarkable seasons with the Reds.
The Champions League triumph of 2005 was followed by FA Cup glory 12 months later. Liverpool also reached the 2007 Champions League final in Athens.
“The first season was unbelievable,” he said. “The team was struggling in the Premier League but we had so many magnificent performances in the Champions League.
“In Istanbul we saw the greatest comeback in history. There’s never been another final like that. I still keep in touch with Stevie (Gerrard), Carra (Jamie Carragher), Xabi (Alonso) and Luis (Garcia).
“Sometimes I doubt whether it was my best achievement because in a cup competition it can depend on the draw and you only have to play around a dozen games.
“It’s more difficult to win a league title because you need to be more consistent over a long period. But Istanbul was certainly the best day of my life.”
Liverpool became feared across Europe but domestically it was a different story. In 2004/05 they were fifth in the Premier League – 37 points adrift of champions Chelsea.
The Reds improved and went on to secure back to back top-three finishes but they weren’t able to sustain a title challenge.
“We just didn’t have a strong enough squad,” Ayestaran said.
“It’s very tough to win the Premier League with the pace of the games.
“We had some players who could play in any big team in Europe but we didn’t have enough of those players. You need 15 to 17 of that calibre.”
On rotationAs well as being a sounding board for Benitez’s tactical plans, Ayestaran was also instrumental in planning Liverpool’s training regime.
A specialist in sports science, he was responsible for the physical conditioning of the squad and had a hill constructed at Melwood which the players would pound up and down as he sought to improve their stamina.
When it came to team selection, their rotation policy came in for plenty of stick but Ayestaran says the critics were being short-sighted.
“Rotation wasn’t something new to us as it started at Valencia,” he said.
“When you are playing in Europe and fighting for the league, you need to rotate. It’s impossible to expect players to perform at their best for 60-odd games per season.
“A lot of them play international matches on top of their club commitments. They need to rest sometimes and recharge their batteries.
“There was criticism when we made changes but it was always the right thing to do. That’s where having a deep squad comes in.”
In the long-term he would relish a return to the Premier League.
“Managing in England? This is one of the dreams,” he added.
“I think whoever has managed or coached in England will tell you it’s one of the best places to work. It’s the respect you get for your work and how professional everything is.
“But I’m enjoying myself here. I’m learning and growing as a manager every day.”
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