Ryan Babel has criticized Rafael Benítez, his former Liverpool manager. The 34-year-old Galatasaray attacker will release his autobiography on Friday in the form of an album with eight rap songs and has given several interviews this month. In conversation with the Guardian This time, Babel looks back on his period at Anfield, where he says he had ‘a strange relationship’ with Benítez at the time.
“When he picked me up, I saw him as the great uncle who wanted to give me a chance,” says Babel in conversation with the newspaper. “But he left me to my own devices and only judged me on the things I didn’t do, instead of telling me what I could do better. I was young and needed guidance.” Babel made the switch from Ajax to Liverpool in mid-2007 for an amount of thirteen million euros and was eventually under contract with the Merseyside club until January 2011.
Benítez was a member of the Liverpool squad between 2004 and 2010. Babel does not want to blame the Spaniard, now manager of Everton, for his failure at Liverpool. “But I don’t think he put enough energy into coaching a young player like Jurgen Klopp or many other coaches would do now to get the best out of a talent. Looking back, I could have been much better with the right guidance.”
Babel also got from the Guardian the question about one of the most discussed passages in the song Open Letter, addressed to Ibrahim Afellay. “You shout things and don’t think about the bro code anymore. But I get it when your career comes to a dead end,” you can hear in the song. “People in the Netherlands take it as a dis,” says Babel. “But it was more an expression of my disappointment in this individual because we were teammates for a long time and he has now become an analyst who I think is trying to score points to look good in that world.”
“Yes… with surprise actually”, Afellay responded at the end of September at Studio Football when asked how he looked at the rap. “I can only be positive about him. I have only experienced him with the Dutch national team and I know him as a very nice boy. I don’t have a single bad word for him.” In the track, Babel says he “don’t even want to start talking about men on TV,” which he finds “lame.” A photo of Afellay appears, showing the former midfielder on the bench at Barcelona. Bro I don’t know you from Barcelona, maybe more from PSV. Oh now you’re an analyst? Hmm so so. Heard in the corridors you’re broke bro. You say things you don’t think about that bro code anymore. But I understand when your career is dead.”