Champions League winning boss open to Scotland job - 'possibility to achieve something'

Rafael Benetiz has expressed an interest in the Scotland head coach job for the second time in a week.

The Scottish Football Association are searching for a replacement for Steve Clarke, who stepped down after seven years in charge following the group stage elimination from the World Cup.

Clarke leaves a legacy as Scotland's most successful manager, having become the first and only boss to qualify for three tournaments, including back-to-back Euros and ending a 28-year wait for a World Cup appearance.

Rafael Benitez has declared an interest in the Scotland head coach vacancy. | Getty Images

Roberto Martinez has emerged as the bookies favourite for the job after stepping down from his role as Portugal head coach following their World Cup elimination at the hands of Spain in the last 16.

However, his fellow Spaniard, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and has experience of managing top clubs such as Real Madrid and Inter Milan, has opened the door to a possible move to Hampden.

Benitez, who was sacked by Panathinaikos in May after only seven months in charge, told Sky Sports on Friday: "I am open to international football, yes, because I have been in a lot of countries and teams and it's a different approach.

"You have players that go fully motivated, and you can organise the team in a way that they will be proud for the country.

"It's not like that when you have, in Panathinaikos we had 33 players in the club, so how can you motivate the third that will not play any games?

“In the national team it's different so it's another challenge that could be interesting. Any country that can offer you the possibility to achieve something."

Pressed whether he would be open to the Scotland job, Benitez added: "I'm open to only good countries, yes."

It follows a similar response Benitez gave to talkSPORT earlier in the week when he said he would be "open to the challenge" of replacing Clarke if he was given "the tools".

Whether Benitez would be a popular appointment with the Tartan Army is open to debate given the 66-year-old's successes in the dugout are mainly confined to the past.

He won the UEFA Cup and La Liga twice with Valencia, the Europa League with Chelsea, and lifted domestic cups in both England and Italy but his most recent achievement was winning the Championship title with Newcastle in 2016-17.

Finance could also be an issue for the SFA given Benitez was reportedly earning upwards of £3 million a year in Greece, whereas former boss Clarke's salary was believed to be closer to £750,000.