Real Madrid sports director Pedja Mijatovic insists they have never made a move for Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez.
The two clubs have been paired in the Champions League and Mijatovic says: "Rafa is a great coach. He's been with us and now is training a great team that has done very important things above all in the Champions League. He and his players deserve our respect. He's happy there and managing a great club. We've never spoken about bringing him here.
"In the last few years we haven't gone past the first knockout stage.
"But if we prepare well, and I've no doubt we will, it's a tie which is totally open between two great teams and I think we can go through.
"In the month of January and February we will have time to train well and recover our injured players and prepare very well for the games against Liverpool."