Dutchman is one step away from his second European final.
Fenerbahce front man Dirk Kuyt says that he wants his side to face Chelsea in the final of this month’s Europa League at the Amsterdam Arena.
The Turkish giants go into the second leg of their semi-final on Thursday night leading Portuguese outfit Benfica 1-0 after the first match in Istanbul last week.
Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea also hold a first-leg lead in their semi-final, having won 2-1 at FC Basel ahead of their return showdown at Stamford Bridge.
And the Netherlands international is desperate to face his old boss in his homeland after the pair spent four hugely successful years together at Anfield between 2006 and 2010.
The 32-year-old made 286 appearances for the Merseyside giants in that time, scoring an impressive 86 goals for the Reds, mostly from the right wing, and the Dutchman says that he owes everything that he has achieved in his career to date to Benitez.
“It would be very special to face Rafa in the final,” Kuyt is quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying.
“He signed me for Liverpool and has been a very big influence on my career. I will always be grateful to him for giving me the chance at Anfield.
“He means a lot to me. He is one of the best managers I have ever worked with and clearly one of the best in Europe.
“The things he wrote about me when he heard I was leaving Liverpool were very special and important to me.”
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