Rafael Benitez has done many things in football. He has won the Champions League, lifted the Europa League, conquered La Liga twice and taken charge of some of the biggest clubs on the planet. What he has never done is manage a national team. That could change — though the obstacles standing between him and the Scotland job are considerable.

The 66-year-old Spaniard, who was sacked by Greek club Panathinaikos after just seven months in Athens, appeared on talkSPORT and made no secret of his interest. Asked directly whether he would consider the Scotland vacancy left by Steve Clarke's shock resignation, Benitez was unambiguous: "No, no, I'm open to international football, to national teams, because I think you can do a different kind of job." He added that he would need "the tools" to do the job properly — a phrase that will set alarm bells ringing at the Scottish FA before any formal conversation has even begun.

What would Benitez actually bring?

At his peak, Benitez was genuinely among Europe's finest managers. His Liverpool side famously recovered from three goals down to beat AC Milan on penalties in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, and he consistently guided the Anfield club into the latter stages of the competition. Before that, he had built Valencia into a genuine force, winning two league titles and the UEFA Cup. At Chelsea in 2012–13 he added the Europa League in a difficult interim spell. Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have both publicly described him as the finest coach they worked under.

His greatest strength has always been defensive organisation — meticulous, structured and difficult to break down. That quality translates well to international management, where a coach has limited time on the training pitch and needs to build a clear, repeatable system quickly. Scotland, a nation that has historically relied on collective spirit and hard-to-beat resilience, might appear a natural fit.

He also brings a wealth of big-occasion experience. Having navigated Champions League knockout rounds at Liverpool and managed giants such as Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Napoli, he is not a coach who would be overawed by tournament football.

The concerns are real, though

Since leaving Liverpool in 2010, Benitez has held nine managerial positions. He lasted less than a year in six of them. Spells at Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Everton and Celta Vigo all ended abruptly, and the pattern is hard to ignore. The three-year stint at Newcastle United stands out as a genuine success story in that period, but it remains the exception rather than the rule.

There are also footballing questions. A section of Scotland supporters has grown increasingly frustrated watching cautious, pragmatic football, and Benitez is not typically associated with an expansive, high-energy style. Clarke's side reached the World Cup this summer — their first since 1998 — but exited at the group stage after beating Haiti, losing narrowly to Morocco and then suffering a 3-0 defeat to Brazil. Benitez himself suggested the squad had reached its ceiling: "They achieved what they could achieve. I don't think they could have achieved any more." That is a measured assessment, but it is unlikely to fire up supporters who want to believe more is possible.

The salary question may be decisive

The most straightforward barrier is financial. Reports indicated Benitez was earning in excess of £3 million per year at Panathinaikos — a record salary for Greek football. Steve Clarke was estimated to be on approximately £500,000 a year in the Scotland role. That gap is not bridgeable. The Scottish FA do not have the commercial income of a major European federation, and even with goodwill on both sides, the numbers almost certainly do not stack up.

The market will no doubt throw up more affordable and arguably more suitable candidates as the process develops. But for a few days at least, Scottish football gets to imagine what might be.

FAQs

Frequently asked

Why did Steve Clarke leave the Scotland manager job?
Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland head coach following the national team's early exit from the 2025 World Cup, where they picked up just three points from three group-stage matches.
Has Rafa Benitez ever managed a national team before?
No. Despite a long and decorated club career across England, Spain, Italy and Greece, Benitez has never taken charge of an international or national side before.
How much does the Scotland manager earn?
Steve Clarke was estimated to earn around £500,000 a year in the role. That figure would represent a significant pay cut for someone of Benitez's profile, making a deal very difficult to finance.