Brendan Rodgers: Valencia helped to forge my football philosophy

For Brendan Rodgers, the draw for the last 32 of the Europa League could hardly have proved more appetising.
Valencia's  Mestalla stadium.Valencia's  Mestalla stadium.
Valencia's Mestalla stadium.

The Celtic manager has many reasons to welcome a tie which pits him against a club he says not only played a major role in forging his coaching philosophy but also helped him develop a taste for world-class cuisine into the bargain.

Rodgers smiles as he recalls both the professional and personal memories of the time he spent at Valencia while he was studying for his academy coaching certificates.

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In the city which is renowned as the home of paella, Rodgers was taken under the wing of legendary former Valencia player Juan Cruz Sol, who later became a European scout for both Chelsea and Celtic.

The consideration shown by Sol, a renowned defender who also played for Real Madrid and Spain, and his fellow Valencia coach Jose Luis 
Albiol – uncle of current Napoli and Spain star Raul Albiol – to the then rookie Rodgers has never been forgotten by the Celtic boss.

“What really hit me when I went over there to study was the friendliness or how they embraced you,” he said. “I was accepted so well whenever I went abroad. At Valencia, to make me feel welcome, I remember Jose Luiz took me into a little village just outside the city because he wanted me to experience proper paella and calamari!

“I probably went to Valencia about five times when I was doing my academy director’s licence. It was one of those clubs, like Sevilla and Barcelona where I also spent some time, where there was a top-to-tail philosophy in terms of developing players. I got to know Juan and Jose Luis really well and they became good friends.”

Rodgers has never hidden his admiration for Spanish football or his desire to one day perhaps take up a coaching position in the country.

“At some point before I quit I would like to get out of my comfort zone and go abroad,” he added. “Not just Spain necessarily, but somewhere abroad is something to experience. It gets you out of that comfort zone. Spain is a country that I have always admired in relation to the way they go about their work and the quality of their game.”

Rodgers will set his affection for Valencia to one side as he tries to plot a victory over them in the last-32 tie which sees Celtic at home in the first leg on 14 February before travelling to the Mestalla Stadium for the return fixture seven days later.

It’s a venue which bring back more happy memories for Rodgers who was part of the Chelsea coaching staff for a Champions League victory there back in October 2007.

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“Jose Mourinho had just been sacked and Avram Grant took charge,” recalls Rodgers. “He brought myself and Steve Clarke with him for the game in Valencia. That was the last time I was there, I think. We won 2-1 with goals from Joe Cole and Didier
Drogba, so that was a great night. It’s a lovely city and a great stadium, so it’s a tie everyone at Celtic can look 
forward to.”

Valencia were Celtic’s very first European opponents, beating them 6-4 on aggregate in the first round of the Fairs Cup back in 1962-63. The clubs faced each other again in the third round of the Uefa Cup in 2001-02, Valencia triumphing once more over two legs but only after a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Celtic Park following a 1-1 aggregate score.

A club with genuine pedigree on the European stage, Valencia are currently 14th in La Liga, albeit only six points off the top five.

“I don’t read too much into their league position,” said Rodgers. “They have had 10 draws, they have won three and lost three. Look at Sevilla when they were winning the Europa League. One of the years they had never won a game away from home in the Spanish league, but they were winning the Europa League. So sometimes those teams know they’re not going to do it in the league so they pour everything into the European competition.

“Valencia are a great club, even if there has been a bit of turmoil in the last few years. They had big plans to move to a new stadium which have never taken off.

“They are a good side with good players and I thought they played very well at home against Manchester United in the Champions League this season. They had good movement, were dynamic, fast, had good possession. They are what I would describe as a typical Spanish team –very good technically and tactically. It will be a very good test for us.”