With their takeover reportedly edging towards completion, make no mistake, the San Francisco 49ers are not seizing control of Rangers in order to finish as distant runners-up.
Marathe, following the 49ers successful acquisition of Leeds United back in 2023, made no secret of his desire to bring Premier League football to Elland Road at the earliest possible opportunity.
Two years later – after the heartbreak of a play-off final defeat 10 months ago – the Yorkshire giants are three points clear at the summit and gathering pace at precisely the right time. Key to Leeds’ success, Marathe said at the time, was the appointment of a ‘highly-respected first-team manager with a track record of success’
Daniel Farke arrived at Elland Road having already claimed the Championship title twice with Norwich City. The German is now on track for a third.
Presuming the 49ers will take a similar approach at Rangers – according to reports, their takeover has now been agreed in principle – the Ibrox faithful can expect to welcome a coach with a CV to match the 49ers ambitions.
Gordon Dalziel talks up Rangers hiring Rafa Benitez
Suggestions that Rafa Benitez is someone under consideration, then, certainly carries some weight even if the Spaniard’s reputation is not quite as glittering as it once was as he approaches ‘free bus pass’ age.
Benitez, now 64 and out of work following poor spells at Everton and Celta Vigo, would bring with him a Champions League winners’ medal, FA Cup, Europa League, Club World Cup, Coppa Italia and La Liga successes on the back of spells at Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Napoli, Valencia and Real Madrid.
Former forward Gordon Dalziel feels the San Francisco 49ers can make Rangers’ dreams of catching Celtic a reality. The potential appointment of the highly-decorated Benitez, he argues, would represent another sizeable step in the right direction.
“I would take [Benitez] all day long,” Dalziel says. “Based on everything [he has done in his career], plus the fact I look at the other side of the city and I look at what they’ve got in Brendan Rodgers.
“I think Rangers need a big character who really believes in himself to go head to head [with Celtic].”
Benitez has arguably not been a coach at the peak of his powers since leaving Newcastle United for a spell in China six years ago. His methods felt a little outdated, his tactics a little stale, during seven miserable months at Goodison Park.
In fact, across Benitez’s last three jobs at Everton, Celta Vigo and Dalian Professional, his win rate has not creeped above 32 per cent.
Yet, Everton and Celta were two teams with a limited budget and far less quality than some of their divisional rivals.
If he was to take the Rangers job, Benitez would find himself in more familiar surroundings. This is a coach used to working in high-pressure environments while pursuing silverware.
Rangers News understands that Rangers are yet to make an approach for Rafa Benitez. If that changes, this is likely to be a challenge that will appeal greatly to a man who may be craving another title fight at another European giant.
Rafa Benitez a ‘box office’ appointment as Rangers linked with Steven Gerrard return
The likes of Russell Martin and Frank Lampard have also been mentioned. Some have suggested, meanwhile, that Steven Gerrard could return for a second spell four years after guiding Rangers to their only Premiership title since 2011.
“Russell Martin, OK he went into the Premier League and died [with Southampton] but that happens. Lampard, he’s a big name like Steven Gerrard,” Dalziel adds, wondering if the 49ers could use their wide-ranging connections – with energy drink giants Red Bull, for instance – to pull off a more left-field appointment.
“Rangers might go for a Ted Lasso, if you now what I mean? Bring somebody in who we’ve never heard of.”
As for Benitez, Derek Ferguson – the older brother of interim boss Barry – cares little about Benitez’s reputation for pragmatic, defence-first football.
Good football, Ferguson argues, is less important than ‘winning football’.
Former Dundee man Simon Ferry, now a co-host for the Open Goal podcast, believes Benitez would bring to Scotland the sort of ‘box office’ attention usually reserved for clubs south of the border.
