I’m a Premier League legend who saved my club by giving them my house, cars and £2.4MILLION.. now I want to manage them

A BRADFORD CITY legend who helped save the club by giving them his house, cars and £2.4MILLION has revealed he wants to manage them.

This former forward lit up the Premier League in the late 90s and early 2000s at Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.

AlamyA Premier League legend has revealed his burning ambition to manage Bradford City[/caption]

He raised eyebrows when he joined the Bantams on a free transfer back in 2000 on a then whopping £40,000-a-week deal.

But financial struggles soon hit Bradford and he was loaned out to both Derby and Middlesbrough.

Despite his big pay packet, his memorable goals made him a big hit with the Valley Parade faithful.

And he further strengthened that status by agreeing to give millions of pounds in order to help the club stay afloat before returning to his Italian homeland to finish his career.

Meanwhile, the Bantams have struggled to return to the heights of yesteryear and now find themselves in the fourth tier as Mark Hughes’ team were beaten by Carlisle in the play-offs last month.

Now Benito Carbone, 51, has admitted that he would love a stunning return to Bradford as boss as he revealed his agony at seeing them stuck in League Two.

And that is despite him being turned down for the job when he applied for it in February 2022.

Carbone told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “Bradford City should be in the Premier League.

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News Group Newspapers LtdBenito Carbone shocked the football world when he signed for the Bantams in 2000[/caption]

“The size of that club is simply too big to be where they are in the football pyramid right now.

“I was a player there, I know what football means to those people. They can’t stay down in League Two for all this time… come on.

“Bradford City is a big club. Bradford City must come back again. They have to. They have to try.

“A club with that sort of fanbase should be a lot higher than where they are right now.”

Carbone continued: “I’m desperate to manage in England, I’m happy to work in any division, and I love Bradford City.

“It’s a job I was interested in a couple of years ago and my social media was completely spammed with supporters backing me. In the end, they chose to go in a different direction.

“But if that job ever comes available, I’d jump at the chance to take it, because Bradford City have a very special place in my heart. It would be a dream job for me, of course it would.”

Carbone was assistant manager at the Azerbaijan national team from 2020 after previously enjoying spells as a head coach in his own right in the Italian lower leagues.

He said: “I had a great time with the Azerbaijan national team for two years, working as assistant manager for Gianni De Biasi.

“Now, with my team of people around me, I’m looking for a team in England. It’s my dream; to coach in England… it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

“We’re trying to find the best thing for me; I’m not concerned about the contract, it’s the project I’m interested in. A correct project, for me, is what’s important.

“It doesn’t matter what league we’re talking about; League Two, League One, Championship… I want to build something important for the club, for the fans and for myself.

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“I’m in Pavia right now, it’s where my house is right now. It’s a club I’ve played for, and managed, and as a favour for their chairman, who is a good friend of mine, I’ve come in and taken them to the play-offs in their division.

“They want me to carry on, but my dream is to come to England, so let’s see what happens.

“I’ve had a couple of chances to join teams in England, but these haven’t been the right projects for me, to be honest. I’m under no pressure to find a team; I’m patient.

“When I take a job on, I want to be there for many years, to build something special. I don’t want to leave a role before I’ve finished my job there.

“I want to give a group of supporters something to celebrate. I’ve been close to a couple of League Two jobs in the past, but they haven’t been right for me.”

There’s no doubt that the Bradford job is the one that Carbone would love most – but even if he does not ever get it, he has no regrets over giving up the pile of cash he was owed.

Carbone added: “It was easy for me to waive the money the club owed to me all those years ago. I think about the fans, I think about the people behind the scenes at the club, and I think about what the club means to the local area.

“So many people love Bradford, so I couldn’t think about them not existing. There are so many good things about Bradford City, and I’m desperate to see them promoted into League One, then back into the Championship, and the Premier League. 

“I let the club keep over £2m owed to me in 2002. I did it because I felt I needed to do something to save the club from dying.

“I didn’t want those fans to suffer, especially if I could do anything about it, and if I was in that position today, as a player, I’d do the very same thing.

“I handed over the last two years of my contract, my house, everything… I gave it all back. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, or anything like that, but I waived £2.4m away – 20 years ago – because of my love for the club and everyone associated with it.”

Instagram @bennycarbo10Benito Carbone waived over £2m to help save Bradford City[/caption]

PA:Press AssociationThe Italian first made his name in the Premier League with Sheffield Wednesday[/caption]