Rafael Benítez
Encyclopedia
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale
in December 2010.
Born in Madrid, Benítez played football throughout his youth and joined the Real Madrid
academy. He mixed his university studies with his football career at lower division Spanish teams. He joined Real Madrid's coaching staff at the age of 26, going on to work as the under 19 and reserve team coach, and assistant manager for the senior team. Benítez moved away from Real Madrid but management spells at Real Valladolid
and Osasuna
were short-lived and unsuccessful.
Benítez guided Segunda División
side Extremadura
back to the Primera División
in his first season in 1997, but the team was relegated the following season. He left the club, taking a brief break from football before returning to coach Tenerife
in 2000. Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia
and he proved himself to be amongst the top Spanish managers by winning La Liga
in the 2001–02 season—Don Balón
and El País named him Manager of the Year. In 2004, another league title and a UEFA Cup
victory were added. However, a disagreement between Benítez and the club director over team investment caused the Spaniard to switch to English Premier League club Liverpool
.
Benítez was a high-achiever in his first season as he guided Liverpool to victory in the UEFA Champions League
, the highest honour in European club football. In the following three seasons he won the FA Cup
, amongst other honours, and reached the 2007 Champions League Final, but remained unable to win the Premier League, with Liverpool's best performance under Benítez a second place finish in 2008–09.
and Castilla CF
in the Segunda División
. He also enrolled as a student at INEF, the sports faculty at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and in 1982 he obtained a degree in physical education.
In 1979, Benítez was selected to play for the Spain Youth U-19s at the World Student Games
in Mexico City and he scored a penalty in the opening game, a 10–0 win against Cuba. In the next game, a 0–0 draw against Canada, he was injured following a hard tackle. The injury saw him sidelined for a year which realistically ended his chances of becoming a major player. In 1981, Benítez joined Tercera División
side Parla
. Initially he joined Parla on loan, but eventually signed for them permanently and helped them gain promotion to Segunda División B
. He also played a further three games for the Spain Universities XI. In 1985 he signed for Segunda División B
club Linares
and under Enrique Mateos
he served as a player/coach. Further injury problems saw him miss almost the entire 1985–86 season and he subsequently retired as a player.
and joined the club’s coaching staff. At the start of the 1986–87 season, he was appointed coach of Castilla B
. With this team he won two league titles in 1987 and 1989. He won a third league title with Real Madrid Youth B in 1990. Halfway through the 1990–91 season he succeeded José Antonio Camacho
as the coach of the Real Madrid Under 19s. With this team he won the Spain Under 19s Cup in 1991 and 1993, beating Barcelona
in both finals. In 1993 the team completed a double when they also won the national Under 19 league
. While at Real, Benítez also gained his coaching certificate in 1989 and in the summer of 1990 he taught at a football camp at the University of California, Davis
in California
.
During the 1992–93 season Benítez also worked as an assistant coach to Mariano García Remón
at Real Madrid B
. After his success with the Under 19s, Benítez then succeeded García Remón at the start of the 1993–94 season. Real Madrid B were then playing in the Segunda División
and on 4 September 1993 he made his debut as a Segunda División manager with a 3–1 over Hércules CF
. In March 1994 he became assistant manager to Vicente del Bosque
with the senior Real Madrid
team before returning to coach Real Madrid B for the 1994–95 season.
fold were less than successful. He was appointed manager of Real Valladolid
for the 1995–96 season but was sacked after only two wins in 23 games with the club bottom of the Primera División
. During the 1996–97 season, Benítez took charge at Osasuna
in the Segunda División
but after only 9 games and one win he was sacked. He did, however, meet the fitness instructor Pako Ayestarán
at the club, and went on to form a partnership with him at several clubs for the next decade. In 1997, he joined another Segunda División side, Extremadura
and this time led them to promotion, finishing second in the table behind Deportivo Alavés
, after winning 23 out of 42 games. Extremadura only survived one season in Primera División, however, and were relegated in 1999 after finishing seventeenth and losing a play-off to Villarreal
.
Benítez subsequently quit CF Extremadura and took a year out studying in England and Italy. He also worked as a commentator/analyst for Eurosport
, Marca
, El Mundo
and local Madrid TV. In 2000 he was appointed manager of CD Tenerife
of the Segunda División and with a team that included Mista, Curro Torres
and Luis García
, he gained promotion to La Liga
by finishing third in the league behind Sevilla
and Real Betis
.
, replacing Héctor Cúper
. The club had previously approached Javier Irureta
, Mané
and Luis Aragonés
and had been turned down by all three. However the club director Javier Subirats recognised the potential of Benítez and campaigned for his appointment. Despite the loss of Gaizka Mendieta
, he inherited from Cuper a team brimming with potential - with Santiago Cañizares
, Roberto Ayala
, Rubén Baraja, David Albelda
, Vicente
and Pablo Aimar
providing the backbone to a formidable side that had reached back-to-back UEFA Champions League
finals in 2000 and 2001, losing only on penalties in 2001 to Bayern Munich.
Valencia fans were soon won over by Benítez as he introduced a more attacking style of play. He also brought in both Mista from his former club and Francisco Rufete
from Malaga
, with Mista going on to become top goalscorer for Valencia with 19 goals in the 2003–04 season. In 2002, these tactics saw Benítez lead Valencia to their first La Liga
title in thirty one years, winning it by a seven point margin over second placed Deportivo La Coruña
.
However, the following season 2002–03 was a disappointing one as the club failed to follow up on their title success, they finished only fifth in La Liga, eighteen points behind champions Real Madrid
. The season saw Benítez make his debut in the UEFA Champions League. Valencia CF reached the quarter-finals before losing to Internazionale
.
The 2003–04 season was a different story; Valencia won La Liga with three games to go and beat Marseille
2–0 in the UEFA Cup final. Despite this success, Benítez fell out with Jesús García Pitarch, the club's director of football
, over control of new signings and the club's failure to reinforce the squad with the players he wanted. He famously said "I was hoping for a sofa [a defender] and they've brought me a lamp [Fabián Canobbio]" in reference to the positions he wanted to be strengthened. These differences of opinion saw Benítez resign as Valencia coach in June 2004.
. He was unable, however, to convince Michael Owen
to extend his contract, and he was sold to Real Madrid
. Benítez signed several players from La Liga
, most notably Luis García
and Xabi Alonso
, both of whom drew immediate admiration from Kopites. Benítez also gave new life to existing Liverpool players, transforming Jamie Carragher
from a utility player to one of Europe's top centre backs alongside Sami Hyypiä
.
During his first season, Benítez failed to improve Liverpool's form in the Premiership. Key players missed much of the season through injury and Liverpool failed to challenge Chelsea
and Arsenal
for the league title, finishing fifth. However, Benítez did reach his first English domestic cup final, losing the League Cup final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium
3–2 after extra time.
In the UEFA Champions League it was very different, despite a poor start. Liverpool began their campaign with an unimpressive 2-1 aggregate win over AK Grazer
in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages before an 87th minute goal by Steven Gerrard
defeated Olympiacos 3–1 and saw the club progress to the last 16 on head-to-head difference. After defeating Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Juventus
, with the aid of some bold team selections by Benítez, Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semi-final. A controversial early goal from Luis García saw Liverpool win 1–0 on aggregate and reach the final
against A.C. Milan
.
In a classic final, Liverpool came from 3–0 down at half time to level the score at 3–3 in the space of just six minutes and eventually triumphed 3–2 on penalties, with the assistance of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek
. Benítez's calm methodical approach at half time was said to give the players the belief they could pull off an improbable comeback and win Liverpool an historic fifth European Cup. In doing so, Benítez became only the third manager in history (after Bob Paisley
and José Mourinho
) to win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons, and the second Liverpool manager (after Joe Fagan
) ever to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in his first season in charge. Benítez's tactics were credited as a key factor in Liverpool reaching, and winning, the final, despite an unimpressive squad of players.
It is notable that Dudek's heroics in the Champions league final were not enough for him to stay as first-choice keeper, as new-signing Reina
replaced him in from the start of the 2005-2006 season. Benítez also quickly discarded unlikely heroes Vladimír Šmicer
and Igor Bišćan
, who played key roles in the European success but seemingly did not figure in Benítez's long-term plans. Benítez also quickly sold Josemi
and Antonio Núñez
, two of his first signings in English football, after they failed to establish themselves, with the likes of Peter Crouch
, Mohamed Sissoko
, Daniel Agger
, as well as former Liverpool player (and fan favourite) Robbie Fowler
being brought in to strengthen the side.
Benítez's signings helped the club's Premiership
form improve considerably. Liverpool finished third in the league, missing out on second place by one point. Liverpool also won the FA Cup beating both Manchester United
and Chelsea
, as well as a thrilling 5–3 win against Luton Town
in the third round, on the way to the final against West Ham Utd
. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 3–3 draw. Liverpool came from 2–0 down and were losing 3–2 in stoppage time when Steven Gerrard
scored a dramatic late equalizer. This time Pepe Reina
saved three penalties during the shoot-out to secure the silverware. In winning the FA Cup, Benítez became the only manager in the history of Liverpool Football Club to win major trophies in both of his first two seasons at the club.
Supporters and manager joined together to welcome new owners George Gillett
and Tom Hicks
, with the hope the new owners would bring funding for new players and a new stadium. Gillett declared himself delighted with the manager of his new investment as Benítez overcame his domestic difficulties to lead Liverpool to another Champions League final. After Liverpool again defeated Chelsea in the semi-final, this time on penalties, Gillett stated "Rafa has been tremendous ... We knew of him but I don't think we realized how good he was, and not just as a coach. Not only was he a brilliant coach but he is a very sharp, savvy businessman. He knows what he wants and how to get it. The more we have seen of him the more impressed we have become." Benítez did not reciprocate his owner's kind words, demanding his club's new owners had to back him in the transfer market in order for Liverpool to progress following his side's 2-1 loss to AC Milan in the final. It was reported Benítez did not feel he had the complete support of the new owners, a thought that was compounded by Liverpool's initial lack of activity in the transfer window, although the club played these rumours down.
Benítez's spending was, eventually, significant, breaking Liverpool's transfer record when signing Spanish striker Fernando Torres
from Atlético Madrid as well as signing Ryan Babel
, Yossi Benayoun
, Lucas Leiva and Andriy Voronin
. Among those Benítez sold was Craig Bellamy
, who was notably phased out of the first team following an altercation with John Arne Riise
in the build up to Liverpool's remarkable victory over Barcelona
in the Camp Nou
en-route to the Champions League final
Liverpool made a good start to the 2007-2008 league season, topping the Premier League table for the first time under Benítez after a comprehensive 6–0 win over Derby County
. Despite this, poor results in the Champions League and a disagreement over future transfers lead to a public falling-out with the club's owners, played out in the media at the end of November. It was suggested that Benítez's position was now under serious threat. The resulting coverage resulted in a show of support by fans in support of Benítez which culminated in a fans' march in support of Benítez ahead of the critical Champions League home tie with Porto, which they won 4–1.
It later emerged Jürgen Klinsmann
was offered Benítez's job, before accepting the post of Bayern Munich manager. Such a revelation damaged Benítez's relations with the Americans, with constant rumours linking the Spaniard to Real Madrid. However, Benítez insisted his future was at Liverpool and signalled his long-term intentions by appointing Sammy Lee
as his new assistant to replace his long-time right-hand man, Pako Ayestarán
, who quit after a reported disagreement, which Benítez admitted "hurt" him and arguably Liverpool's titles hopes.
Benítez was unable to win any trophies, Liverpool's domestic campaign faltering in the winter months – including a shock FA Cup exit at home to Barnsley
– and his side this time lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. Despite the lack of silverware, the main talking points were off the pitch, with Benítez in the middle of a power struggle between the Liverpool board
from Aston Villa
. Benítez had reportedly intended to sell Xabi Alonso
to fund the purchase of Barry, but Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry was reported to have prioritised signing Robbie Keane
over Barry, causing tension when Barry did not arrive. Striker Keane was later re-sold back to Tottenham in the January transfer window, with some analysts claiming he was a "pawn in a power struggle" between Benítez and the club's owners. This off-field turmoil was in contrast to Liverpool's impressive start to the 2008-2009 season in the Premier League, including Benítez' first ever league win against Manchester United at Anfield on the 13 September and ending Chelsea's 86 match unbeaten run in the league at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool finished the calendar year top of the Premier League for the first time since 1996.
However, Liverpool's poor results in the New Year led to a sharper focus on Benitez, who had missed Liverpool's draw at Arsenal in December due to an operation to remove kidney stones. An infamous attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson
in the media led some pundits and opposition supporters to suggest Benítez was "cracking up" under the pressure of a title bid. Benítez still appeared to be at odds with Liverpool's owners, publicly turning down a contract extension and demanding more control over transfers. At one point rumours of Benítez quitting or being sacked became so great that bookmakers had to suspend betting on the subject.
Nevertheless, on 18 March 2009, shortly after registering a 4-0 victory over Real Madrid
and 4-1 victory over Manchester United, Benítez signed a new five-year deal with the club. Benítez said "My heart is with Liverpool, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal, I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying.". With 10 wins in their last 11 games, Liverpool finished the season on a high, finishing second in the league for the first time under Benítez, four points off champions Manchester United, with Liverpool playing an attractive brand of attacking football at odds with the side that struggled through the Winter months.
Prior to Benítez's final season, Xabi Alonso
, one of the key members of Benítez's squad, was sold to Real Madrid following a lengthy pursuit in a deal reportedly worth £30 million. Alonso admitted that Benítez's attempts to sell him the previous summer were a deciding factor in his move. Alonso was immediately replaced in the squad by £17m Italian
midfielder Alberto Aquilani
, signed from Roma, who was recovering from a long-term injury. Also added was England defender Glen Johnson for £17.5m. A "sell to buy" policy enforced by the ownership due to increasing debt, combined with Alonso's departure, prompted discontent amongst considerable sections of the club's fanbase who believed Benítez was not being backed sufficiently in the transfer market. Benítez's decision to sell Alonso and replace him in the side with Brazil
ian Lucas
, with Aquilani having arrived at the club injured, was called into question as Liverpool's title campaign ended before it began with two defeats in the first three games Benítez defended his decisions, arguing Liverpool's slow start was due to key players such as Gerrard being below par, a move that alienated Benítez from key members of his squad.
Liverpool's worst run in 22 years combined with an exit from the Champions League at the group stages led to the first major vocal criticism of Benítez by Liverpool fans. It was suggested that this Liverpool team was missing Benítez's characteristic defensive rigidness despite the fact that only Manchester United and Chelsea conceded fewer goals than Liverpool, and lacked the necessary depth to cope with injuries to key players such as Gerrard and Torres while Benítez's decision making was called into question. The club subsequently exited the Europa League at the hands of former Manchester United player Diego Forlan
and his Atletico Madrid side, eliminating any hope of the consolation of a trophy.
Benítez left the club "by mutual consent" on 3 June 2010; the media speculating that this was because the team had finished seventh in the Premier League missing out on the Champions League
, and poor results such as the defeat by Wigan Athletic
. Shortly after his departure from Anfield, Benítez made a £96,000 donation to the Hillsborough Family Support Group. However, Benitez settled for a £6m pay off from Liverpool according to the media.
and UEFA Champions League
champions Internazionale
, a post that was left vacant by the departure of José Mourinho
, who left to manage Real Madrid
. On 15 June 2010, Benítez was presented to the Italian media for the first time after signing a two-year deal.
On 21 August 2010, Benítez won his first trophy as manager, the Italian Super Cup
, after they defeated AS Roma 3-1. On 27 August 2010 in Monaco
, Inter lost to Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup
. Benítez's first Serie A
game in charge was on 31 August 2010 in a 0-0 draw away to Bologna
in the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
. His first league
win as manager came on 11 September 2010, a 2-1 win against Udinese
at the San Siro. By December 2010, Inter had slumped to 6th in Serie A, 13 points adrift of the top (although Inter played two games less) , having suffered consecutive defeats against arch rivals Milan
(which ended a 46 match unbeaten home record), Chievo and Lazio
, as well as losing at Tottenham Hotspur
in the Champions League, leading to speculation that Benitez's position was under threat. Despite criticism, Benítez guided Inter to win the FIFA Club World Cup
in December 2010. Buoyed by the Club World Cup victory he told the European champions to back him with new signings or consider whether they wanted to keep him as coach, despite the side being the one that won the Treble only a few months earlier. Benitez's demands were dismissed out of hand by the Inter ownership, with owner Moratti refusing to comment Benitez's continued employment by the club. On 23 December, Inter Milan confirmed Benitez's departure.
(Chelsea
manager, 2004–2007) and Sir Alex Ferguson
(Manchester United
manager, 1986–) during his time in English football. Benítez made a number of suggestions during Mourinho's tenure as manager that Roman Abramovich
's money had brought Chelsea success, and the pair refused to shake hands after some matches (although Mourinho declared the feud to be over after a league game in 2006). When Mourinho exited Chelsea in 2007, Benítez said "You know my relationship with him, it is better that I do not say anything"; declining to comment as Ferguson and Arsenal
manager Arsène Wenger
had. On 9 January 2009, he delivered a controversial appraisal of certain aspects of Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure, accusing Ferguson and Manchester United of being nervous because Liverpool were at the top of the league, then accused the Manchester United manager of not being punished for breaking FA
rules, suggesting he was "the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things", referring to Ferguson not being punished following an FA charge for comments he made about officials Martin Atkinson
and Keith Hackett
, following an FA Cup
tie with Portsmouth
.
Benítez has also had confrontations with Sam Allardyce
when he was manager of Newcastle United
and more recently Blackburn Rovers
. When Allardyce was manager of Newcastle he suggested Benítez would have been sacked had Liverpool's European form been as bad as their league form. In a match in April 2009 when Allardyce was manager of Blackburn he accused Benítez of arrogance over a gesture he made when Fernando Torres
scored Liverpool's second goal. Allardyce suggested that Benítez had signalled the game was over despite Liverpool only having a two goal lead. This view was later supported by Alex Ferguson. Benítez however later explained this gesture. He said he had previously told Xabi Alonso
to take a short free-kick. This instruction was ignored, which resulted in a goal. Benítez said that he had jokingly signalled to Alonso to ignore his instructions and not that he thought the game was effectively over.
admitting he longed for a "well done" from Benítez after good performances. Benítez's ruthlessness can also be seen in the way he disposed of all but Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
from his Champions League winning squad within four seasons, with penalty shoot-out hero Jerzy Dudek
made back-up goalkeeper the very season after the European triumph.
Benítez's preferred formation is a 4–2–3–1 which he adopted during his time at Valencia and Liverpool. He has often been praised for his tactical acumen particularly in European ties, setting his team up to exploit opposition weaknesses. His calm demeanour and tactical changes at half time of the 2005 European cup final were said to give players belief they could battle back from 3–0 down, although he had to correct his plans when it was pointed out to him his new formation would require 12 players on the pitch. Benítez often plays key players in unorthodox positions to suit a formation – notably converting both Steven Gerrard (in the 2005/06 season) and Dirk Kuyt
into right-wingers. As a right winger/midfielder, Steven Gerrard had the most productive seasons winning wise, claiming a Champions League title, and an FA Cup.
Benítez is a firm believer in squad rotation
and zonal marking . Despite heavy criticism from the English press Benítez persisted with the reward of a Champions League and FA Cup triumph in his first two seasons. Benítez argued he needed to rotate his small squad to ensure key players were fit for the latter stages of these knockout competitions.
The tactic of zonal marking is often condemned by pundits when Liverpool concede from set-pieces in spite of the fact that Benítez's squads are usually renowned for ther defensive nature and low number of goals scored against them. Benítez stands by his tactic, pointing out that teams who man-mark concede just as many, if not more, goals from set pieces.
Benítez has been criticised by some sections of the Liverpool support for failing to develop any local players, as none have made the progression from the Academy to the first team under his management while promising youngsters such as Stephen Warnock
, Danny Guthrie
and Adam Hammill
have been sold to smaller clubs. Martin Kelly meanwhile developed into a first team player. Instead Benitez has brought in some of the top Spanish talent, including Barcelona starlet and U-19 Goldenboot winner Dani Pacheco, FC Cadiz super talent Suso, as well as a 15 year old English starlet Raheem Sterling and 16 year old midfield Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton. Benítez instigated a host of backroom changes at the end of the 2008-09 season to improve the club's youth development, including the appointment of club legend Kenny Dalglish
in a senior role at the Academy.
Rafael Benítez married Maria de Montserrat in 1998. They have two daughters, Claudia, who was born in Madrid in 1999, and Ágata who was born in Valencia in 2002.
He is fluent in Spanish
, English
and Italian
.
Extremadura
Tenerife
Valencia
Liverpool
Internazionale
Statistics
Valencia CF
Awards
|-
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in December 2010.
Born in Madrid, Benítez played football throughout his youth and joined the Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
academy. He mixed his university studies with his football career at lower division Spanish teams. He joined Real Madrid's coaching staff at the age of 26, going on to work as the under 19 and reserve team coach, and assistant manager for the senior team. Benítez moved away from Real Madrid but management spells at Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
and Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
were short-lived and unsuccessful.
Benítez guided Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
side Extremadura
CF Extremadura
Club de Fútbol Extremadura was a Spanish football team based in Almendralejo, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1924, it played two seasons in La Liga, and held home games at Estadio Francisco de la Hera, with a capacity of 11,580 seats.-History:Extremadura was founded in 1924,...
back to the Primera División
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in his first season in 1997, but the team was relegated the following season. He left the club, taking a brief break from football before returning to coach Tenerife
CD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
in 2000. Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
and he proved himself to be amongst the top Spanish managers by winning La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in the 2001–02 season—Don Balón
Don Balón
Don Balón was a Spanish weekly sports magazine specialising in Spanish and international football. It was distributed on five continents....
and El País named him Manager of the Year. In 2004, another league title and a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
victory were added. However, a disagreement between Benítez and the club director over team investment caused the Spaniard to switch to English Premier League club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Benítez was a high-achiever in his first season as he guided Liverpool to victory in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, the highest honour in European club football. In the following three seasons he won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, amongst other honours, and reached the 2007 Champions League Final, but remained unable to win the Premier League, with Liverpool's best performance under Benítez a second place finish in 2008–09.
Early career
Benítez passed through the playing ranks, as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados in the Tercera DivisiónTercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...
and Castilla CF
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the Segunda División B. It is the reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium....
in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
. He also enrolled as a student at INEF, the sports faculty at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and in 1982 he obtained a degree in physical education.
In 1979, Benítez was selected to play for the Spain Youth U-19s at the World Student Games
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
in Mexico City and he scored a penalty in the opening game, a 10–0 win against Cuba. In the next game, a 0–0 draw against Canada, he was injured following a hard tackle. The injury saw him sidelined for a year which realistically ended his chances of becoming a major player. In 1981, Benítez joined Tercera División
Tercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...
side Parla
AD Parla
Agrupación Deportiva Parla is a Spanish football team based in Parla, in the autonomous community of Madrid. Founded in 1973, it plays in Tercera División - Group 7, holding home games at Estadio Los Prados, with a capacity of 5,000 seats....
. Initially he joined Parla on loan, but eventually signed for them permanently and helped them gain promotion to Segunda División B
Segunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
. He also played a further three games for the Spain Universities XI. In 1985 he signed for Segunda División B
Segunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
club Linares
Linares CF
Linares Club de Fútbol was a Spanish football club based in Linares, Jaén, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1960, it disappeared 30 years later due to serious economic problems, and held home matches at Estadio Municipal de Linarejos, with a 10,000-seat capacity.-History:Founded...
and under Enrique Mateos
Enrique Mateos
Enrique Mateos Mancebo was a Spanish footballer who played for Real Madrid and was part of their European Cup victories in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960...
he served as a player/coach. Further injury problems saw him miss almost the entire 1985–86 season and he subsequently retired as a player.
Real Madrid youth coach
In 1986, at the age of twenty six, Benítez returned to Real MadridReal Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and joined the club’s coaching staff. At the start of the 1986–87 season, he was appointed coach of Castilla B
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the Segunda División B. It is the reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium....
. With this team he won two league titles in 1987 and 1989. He won a third league title with Real Madrid Youth B in 1990. Halfway through the 1990–91 season he succeeded José Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho Alfaro is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender, and the current coach of the China PR national football team....
as the coach of the Real Madrid Under 19s. With this team he won the Spain Under 19s Cup in 1991 and 1993, beating Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in both finals. In 1993 the team completed a double when they also won the national Under 19 league
División de Honor Juvenil de Fútbol
The División de Honor Juvenil is the top level of the Spanish football league system for youth players 18 years old and under. The División de Honor is administered by the RFEF through the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Aficionado ...
. While at Real, Benítez also gained his coaching certificate in 1989 and in the summer of 1990 he taught at a football camp at the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
During the 1992–93 season Benítez also worked as an assistant coach to Mariano García Remón
Mariano García Remón
Mariano García Remón is a former Spanish football player and coach.Best known for his spell at Real Madrid, the goalkeeper helped the capital side to six leagues and three cups.-Playing career:...
at Real Madrid B
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the Segunda División B. It is the reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium....
. After his success with the Under 19s, Benítez then succeeded García Remón at the start of the 1993–94 season. Real Madrid B were then playing in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
and on 4 September 1993 he made his debut as a Segunda División manager with a 3–1 over Hércules CF
Hércules CF
Hércules Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Alicante, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1922, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, and holds home games at the Estadio José Rico Pérez, which seats 30,000 spectators.-History:After first...
. In March 1994 he became assistant manager to Vicente del Bosque
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
with the senior Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
team before returning to coach Real Madrid B for the 1994–95 season.
Early coaching
The first attempts by Benítez at senior management away from the Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
fold were less than successful. He was appointed manager of Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
for the 1995–96 season but was sacked after only two wins in 23 games with the club bottom of the Primera División
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
. During the 1996–97 season, Benítez took charge at Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
but after only 9 games and one win he was sacked. He did, however, meet the fitness instructor Pako Ayestarán
Pako Ayestaran
Paco Ayestarán Barandiarán was a long-serving and successful Assistant Manager to football Manager Rafael Benítez at both Liverpool FC and Valencia. He quit at the start of the 2007-08 season following an apparent disagreement, and was placed on gardening leave until June 30, 2008...
at the club, and went on to form a partnership with him at several clubs for the next decade. In 1997, he joined another Segunda División side, Extremadura
CF Extremadura
Club de Fútbol Extremadura was a Spanish football team based in Almendralejo, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1924, it played two seasons in La Liga, and held home games at Estadio Francisco de la Hera, with a capacity of 11,580 seats.-History:Extremadura was founded in 1924,...
and this time led them to promotion, finishing second in the table behind Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1921, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at the 19,500-seater Estadio Mendizorrotza....
, after winning 23 out of 42 games. Extremadura only survived one season in Primera División, however, and were relegated in 1999 after finishing seventeenth and losing a play-off to Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
.
Benítez subsequently quit CF Extremadura and took a year out studying in England and Italy. He also worked as a commentator/analyst for Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
, Marca
Marca (newspaper)
MARCA is a Spanish national daily sports newspaper owned by Unidad Editorial. The newspaper focuses primarily on football, in particular the day-to-day activities of Real Madrid CF...
, El Mundo
El Mundo (Spain)
El Mundo is the second largest printed and the largest digital daily newspaper in Spain and one of the newspapers of record in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the...
and local Madrid TV. In 2000 he was appointed manager of CD Tenerife
CD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
of the Segunda División and with a team that included Mista, Curro Torres
Curro Torres
Cristóbal Emilio Torres Ruiz, aka Curro Torres , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a right defender....
and Luis García
Luis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
, he gained promotion to La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
by finishing third in the league behind Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
and Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
.
2001–04 Twice champions of Spain and UEFA Cup winners
In 2001 Benítez was appointed coach of ValenciaValencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, replacing Héctor Cúper
Héctor Cúper
Héctor Raúl Cúper is an Argentinean former football defender and a current manager.-Coach:...
. The club had previously approached Javier Irureta
Javier Irureta
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano , Irureta for short, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward, and a current manager....
, Mané
José Manuel Esnal
José Manuel Esnal Pardo , aka Mané, is a Spanish football manager.His career was mostly associated to Lleida and Alavés, coaching the latter in five La Liga seasons and taking it to the 2001 UEFA Cup Final.-Early years / Lleida:Mané started coaching in his late 20's, his first job being with his...
and Luis Aragonés
Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
and had been turned down by all three. However the club director Javier Subirats recognised the potential of Benítez and campaigned for his appointment. Despite the loss of Gaizka Mendieta
Gaizka Mendieta
Gaizka Mendieta Zabala is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.Versatile, with good offensive and tackling skills, also being capable of creating goals for teammates and himself, he played mainly for Valencia CF, and finished his career at Middlesbrough of England.He played 40...
, he inherited from Cuper a team brimming with potential - with Santiago Cañizares
Santiago Cañizares
José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After playing with Real Madrid, mostly as a backup, he finished his career at Valencia CF, where he appeared in more than 400 official games since 1998.In his prime, he was regarded as one of the best...
, Roberto Ayala
Roberto Ayala
Roberto Fabián Ayala , nicknamed el Ratón , is a former Argentine football centre back.Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches than anyone else...
, Rubén Baraja, David Albelda
David Albelda
David Albelda Aliqués is a Spanish footballer who plays for Valencia CF as a defensive midfielder.He played mainly for local Valencia during his extensive professional career, being team captain for over a decade....
, Vicente
Vicente Rodríguez
Vicente Rodríguez Guillén , simply Vicente, nicknamed El puñal de Benicalap , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion in England....
and Pablo Aimar
Pablo Aimar
Pablo César Aimar Giordano is a Argentine professional footballer who plays for Sport Lisboa e Benfica in the Portuguese first division. An attacking midfielder with a vast array of skills, he also holds a Spanish passport....
providing the backbone to a formidable side that had reached back-to-back UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
finals in 2000 and 2001, losing only on penalties in 2001 to Bayern Munich.
Valencia fans were soon won over by Benítez as he introduced a more attacking style of play. He also brought in both Mista from his former club and Francisco Rufete
Francisco Rufete
Francisco Joaquín Pérez Rufete is a Spanish footballer who plays for Hércules CF....
from Malaga
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
, with Mista going on to become top goalscorer for Valencia with 19 goals in the 2003–04 season. In 2002, these tactics saw Benítez lead Valencia to their first La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
title in thirty one years, winning it by a seven point margin over second placed Deportivo La Coruña
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
.
However, the following season 2002–03 was a disappointing one as the club failed to follow up on their title success, they finished only fifth in La Liga, eighteen points behind champions Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. The season saw Benítez make his debut in the UEFA Champions League. Valencia CF reached the quarter-finals before losing to Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
.
The 2003–04 season was a different story; Valencia won La Liga with three games to go and beat Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
2–0 in the UEFA Cup final. Despite this success, Benítez fell out with Jesús García Pitarch, the club's director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
, over control of new signings and the club's failure to reinforce the squad with the players he wanted. He famously said "I was hoping for a sofa [a defender] and they've brought me a lamp [Fabián Canobbio]" in reference to the positions he wanted to be strengthened. These differences of opinion saw Benítez resign as Valencia coach in June 2004.
2004–06 Early successes
One of Benítez's first tasks at Liverpool was to convince club captain Gerrard not to move to rivals ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. He was unable, however, to convince Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
to extend his contract, and he was sold to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. Benítez signed several players from La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, most notably Luis García
Luis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
and Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
, both of whom drew immediate admiration from Kopites. Benítez also gave new life to existing Liverpool players, transforming Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
from a utility player to one of Europe's top centre backs alongside Sami Hyypiä
Sami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
.
During his first season, Benítez failed to improve Liverpool's form in the Premiership. Key players missed much of the season through injury and Liverpool failed to challenge Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
for the league title, finishing fifth. However, Benítez did reach his first English domestic cup final, losing the League Cup final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
3–2 after extra time.
In the UEFA Champions League it was very different, despite a poor start. Liverpool began their campaign with an unimpressive 2-1 aggregate win over AK Grazer
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages before an 87th minute goal by Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
defeated Olympiacos 3–1 and saw the club progress to the last 16 on head-to-head difference. After defeating Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, with the aid of some bold team selections by Benítez, Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semi-final. A controversial early goal from Luis García saw Liverpool win 1–0 on aggregate and reach the final
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
against A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
.
In a classic final, Liverpool came from 3–0 down at half time to level the score at 3–3 in the space of just six minutes and eventually triumphed 3–2 on penalties, with the assistance of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Henryk Dudek is a retired Polish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After beginning his career in his home country, he went on to have successful spells in Netherlands and England, winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, appearing in 186 official games for the club over...
. Benítez's calm methodical approach at half time was said to give the players the belief they could pull off an improbable comeback and win Liverpool an historic fifth European Cup. In doing so, Benítez became only the third manager in history (after Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
and José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
) to win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons, and the second Liverpool manager (after Joe Fagan
Joe Fagan
Joe Fagan was an English football manager best known for being manager of Liverpool F.C. from 1983 to 1985.- Career:Joe Fagan's playing career was largely spent at Manchester City for whom he signed in 1938...
) ever to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in his first season in charge. Benítez's tactics were credited as a key factor in Liverpool reaching, and winning, the final, despite an unimpressive squad of players.
It is notable that Dudek's heroics in the Champions league final were not enough for him to stay as first-choice keeper, as new-signing Reina
José Manuel Reina Páez
José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez , is a Spanish footballer who is currently playing as a goalkeeper for English Premier League team Liverpool. Reina is well known for his distribution, and ability to save penalties. José Manuel is the 2nd vice-captain for Liverpool in the absence of Jamie Carragher...
replaced him in from the start of the 2005-2006 season. Benítez also quickly discarded unlikely heroes Vladimír Šmicer
Vladimír Šmicer
Vladimír Šmicer is a former Czech football midfielder and forward player. Šmicer was a devout player of Slavia Prague, the only Czech club he ever played for. He also played notably for Lens in France, with whom he won the Ligue 1 title. In 1999, Šmicer moved to England, where he played several...
and Igor Bišćan
Igor Bišcan
Igor Bišćan is a Croatian professional footballer, playing for Dinamo Zagreb. He also played for the English team Liverpool and Greek side Panathinaikos, also spending one-year loan at NK Samobor in his early career...
, who played key roles in the European success but seemingly did not figure in Benítez's long-term plans. Benítez also quickly sold Josemi
Josemi
José Miguel González Rey, aka Josemi , is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Cartagena in Segunda División. Predominantly a right back, he also can play as a central defender.-Early career:...
and Antonio Núñez
Antonio Núñez
Antonio Núñez Tena is a Spanish footballer who plays for Apollon Limassol, mainly as a right midfielder.-Club career:Núñez started his career with CD San Federico, before joining fourth level side CD Las Rozas...
, two of his first signings in English football, after they failed to establish themselves, with the likes of Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
, Mohamed Sissoko
Mohamed Sissoko
Mohamed Lamine Sissoko Gillan is a French-born Malian footballer who is currently playing for the French Ligue 1 team Paris-Saint Germain and the Malian national team. Although he could have elected to play for France internationally, he chose to play for the country of his descent, Mali...
, Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
, as well as former Liverpool player (and fan favourite) Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
being brought in to strengthen the side.
Benítez's signings helped the club's Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
form improve considerably. Liverpool finished third in the league, missing out on second place by one point. Liverpool also won the FA Cup beating both Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, as well as a thrilling 5–3 win against Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
in the third round, on the way to the final against West Ham Utd
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 3–3 draw. Liverpool came from 2–0 down and were losing 3–2 in stoppage time when Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
scored a dramatic late equalizer. This time Pepe Reina
José Manuel Reina Páez
José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez , is a Spanish footballer who is currently playing as a goalkeeper for English Premier League team Liverpool. Reina is well known for his distribution, and ability to save penalties. José Manuel is the 2nd vice-captain for Liverpool in the absence of Jamie Carragher...
saved three penalties during the shoot-out to secure the silverware. In winning the FA Cup, Benítez became the only manager in the history of Liverpool Football Club to win major trophies in both of his first two seasons at the club.
2006–08 Confrontation with new owners
Following Benítez's great early success, the English media were predicting Liverpool would challenge Chelsea for the 2006-2007 Premier League title after Benítez addressed Liverpool's perceived weaknesses in the transfer window, a belief reaffirmed after his side won the Community Shield with 2–1 victory over Chelsea. The title challenge fizzled out early in the season with Liverpool's poor form away from Anfield leading to speculation Benítez's tenure at Liverpool was short-lived, with his agent quoted as saying Benítez would consider offers to manage in Italy. Benítez swiftly issued a statement through the club's website re-affirming his desire to remain with Liverpool for the long term. In January, Benítez's side lost twice in four days to Arsenal in both domestic cup competitions, the 6-3 defeat in the League Cup was Liverpool's heaviest home defeat since 1913. Despite the poor domestic performances, Liverpool fans remained supportive to Benítez.Supporters and manager joined together to welcome new owners George Gillett
George N. Gillett Jr.
-Biography:George Gillett graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1956. He attended Amherst College and is a graduate of Dominican College in Racine, Wisconsin....
and Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
, with the hope the new owners would bring funding for new players and a new stadium. Gillett declared himself delighted with the manager of his new investment as Benítez overcame his domestic difficulties to lead Liverpool to another Champions League final. After Liverpool again defeated Chelsea in the semi-final, this time on penalties, Gillett stated "Rafa has been tremendous ... We knew of him but I don't think we realized how good he was, and not just as a coach. Not only was he a brilliant coach but he is a very sharp, savvy businessman. He knows what he wants and how to get it. The more we have seen of him the more impressed we have become." Benítez did not reciprocate his owner's kind words, demanding his club's new owners had to back him in the transfer market in order for Liverpool to progress following his side's 2-1 loss to AC Milan in the final. It was reported Benítez did not feel he had the complete support of the new owners, a thought that was compounded by Liverpool's initial lack of activity in the transfer window, although the club played these rumours down.
Benítez's spending was, eventually, significant, breaking Liverpool's transfer record when signing Spanish striker Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
from Atlético Madrid as well as signing Ryan Babel
Ryan Babel
Ryan Guno Babel is a Dutch football player who currently plays for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He can play as a left winger and as a striker. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad...
, Yossi Benayoun
Yossi Benayoun
Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun is an Israeli international footballer who plays for Arsenal on loan from Chelsea.Benayoun plays as an attacking midfielder, often occupying the space just behind the striker. In Israel, he is sometimes nicknamed "The Diamond from Dimona". He is also the captain of the...
, Lucas Leiva and Andriy Voronin
Andriy Voronin
Andriy Viktorovych Voronin is a Ukrainian professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Dynamo Moscow. His previous clubs include Chornomorets Odessa, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Mainz, Köln, Bayer Leverkusen, and Liverpool. In the 2002–03 season, Voronin became top goalscorer in the...
. Among those Benítez sold was Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
, who was notably phased out of the first team following an altercation with John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
in the build up to Liverpool's remarkable victory over Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
en-route to the Champions League final
Liverpool made a good start to the 2007-2008 league season, topping the Premier League table for the first time under Benítez after a comprehensive 6–0 win over Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Despite this, poor results in the Champions League and a disagreement over future transfers lead to a public falling-out with the club's owners, played out in the media at the end of November. It was suggested that Benítez's position was now under serious threat. The resulting coverage resulted in a show of support by fans in support of Benítez which culminated in a fans' march in support of Benítez ahead of the critical Champions League home tie with Porto, which they won 4–1.
It later emerged Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
was offered Benítez's job, before accepting the post of Bayern Munich manager. Such a revelation damaged Benítez's relations with the Americans, with constant rumours linking the Spaniard to Real Madrid. However, Benítez insisted his future was at Liverpool and signalled his long-term intentions by appointing Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee (footballer)
Samuel "Sammy" Lee is an English football coach and former player. He played most of his career for hometown club Liverpool during the 1970s and 1980s as a midfielder, and also represented England fourteen times....
as his new assistant to replace his long-time right-hand man, Pako Ayestarán
Pako Ayestaran
Paco Ayestarán Barandiarán was a long-serving and successful Assistant Manager to football Manager Rafael Benítez at both Liverpool FC and Valencia. He quit at the start of the 2007-08 season following an apparent disagreement, and was placed on gardening leave until June 30, 2008...
, who quit after a reported disagreement, which Benítez admitted "hurt" him and arguably Liverpool's titles hopes.
Benítez was unable to win any trophies, Liverpool's domestic campaign faltering in the winter months – including a shock FA Cup exit at home to Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
– and his side this time lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. Despite the lack of silverware, the main talking points were off the pitch, with Benítez in the middle of a power struggle between the Liverpool board
2008–09 League runner-up
In a sign of the increasingly strained relationship between the Liverpool manager and his board, Benítez was reportedly close to quitting Liverpool in the summer of 2008 over the Liverpool board's failure to back him in his bid to purchase Gareth BarryGareth Barry
Gareth Barry is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national football team.Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa, and, at the end of his career with the club, lay eighth in...
from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Benítez had reportedly intended to sell Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
to fund the purchase of Barry, but Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry was reported to have prioritised signing Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
over Barry, causing tension when Barry did not arrive. Striker Keane was later re-sold back to Tottenham in the January transfer window, with some analysts claiming he was a "pawn in a power struggle" between Benítez and the club's owners. This off-field turmoil was in contrast to Liverpool's impressive start to the 2008-2009 season in the Premier League, including Benítez' first ever league win against Manchester United at Anfield on the 13 September and ending Chelsea's 86 match unbeaten run in the league at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool finished the calendar year top of the Premier League for the first time since 1996.
However, Liverpool's poor results in the New Year led to a sharper focus on Benitez, who had missed Liverpool's draw at Arsenal in December due to an operation to remove kidney stones. An infamous attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
in the media led some pundits and opposition supporters to suggest Benítez was "cracking up" under the pressure of a title bid. Benítez still appeared to be at odds with Liverpool's owners, publicly turning down a contract extension and demanding more control over transfers. At one point rumours of Benítez quitting or being sacked became so great that bookmakers had to suspend betting on the subject.
Nevertheless, on 18 March 2009, shortly after registering a 4-0 victory over Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and 4-1 victory over Manchester United, Benítez signed a new five-year deal with the club. Benítez said "My heart is with Liverpool, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal, I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying.". With 10 wins in their last 11 games, Liverpool finished the season on a high, finishing second in the league for the first time under Benítez, four points off champions Manchester United, with Liverpool playing an attractive brand of attacking football at odds with the side that struggled through the Winter months.
2009–10 Decline and dismissal
Fans were hopeful with Benítez's long-term future sorted Liverpool could push on to the next level in the 2009-2010 season and win their first League title in 20 years. Yet the season that followed resulted in Liverpool finishing in 7th position and Benítez's contract being terminated by mutual consent.Prior to Benítez's final season, Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
, one of the key members of Benítez's squad, was sold to Real Madrid following a lengthy pursuit in a deal reportedly worth £30 million. Alonso admitted that Benítez's attempts to sell him the previous summer were a deciding factor in his move. Alonso was immediately replaced in the squad by £17m Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
midfielder Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...
, signed from Roma, who was recovering from a long-term injury. Also added was England defender Glen Johnson for £17.5m. A "sell to buy" policy enforced by the ownership due to increasing debt, combined with Alonso's departure, prompted discontent amongst considerable sections of the club's fanbase who believed Benítez was not being backed sufficiently in the transfer market. Benítez's decision to sell Alonso and replace him in the side with Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Lucas
Lucas Leiva
Lucas Pezzini-Leiva , often known as simply Lucas, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a Defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazilian national side...
, with Aquilani having arrived at the club injured, was called into question as Liverpool's title campaign ended before it began with two defeats in the first three games Benítez defended his decisions, arguing Liverpool's slow start was due to key players such as Gerrard being below par, a move that alienated Benítez from key members of his squad.
Liverpool's worst run in 22 years combined with an exit from the Champions League at the group stages led to the first major vocal criticism of Benítez by Liverpool fans. It was suggested that this Liverpool team was missing Benítez's characteristic defensive rigidness despite the fact that only Manchester United and Chelsea conceded fewer goals than Liverpool, and lacked the necessary depth to cope with injuries to key players such as Gerrard and Torres while Benítez's decision making was called into question. The club subsequently exited the Europa League at the hands of former Manchester United player Diego Forlan
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
and his Atletico Madrid side, eliminating any hope of the consolation of a trophy.
Benítez left the club "by mutual consent" on 3 June 2010; the media speculating that this was because the team had finished seventh in the Premier League missing out on the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, and poor results such as the defeat by Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. Shortly after his departure from Anfield, Benítez made a £96,000 donation to the Hillsborough Family Support Group. However, Benitez settled for a £6m pay off from Liverpool according to the media.
Internazionale
On 10 June 2010, and only a few days after leaving Liverpool, Rafael Benítez agreed a deal to become the new head coach of Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
champions Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, a post that was left vacant by the departure of José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, who left to manage Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. On 15 June 2010, Benítez was presented to the Italian media for the first time after signing a two-year deal.
On 21 August 2010, Benítez won his first trophy as manager, the Italian Super Cup
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
, after they defeated AS Roma 3-1. On 27 August 2010 in Monaco
Stade Louis II
The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match...
, Inter lost to Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup
2010 UEFA Super Cup
The 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup organised by the European football governing body UEFA. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Internazionale, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA...
. Benítez's first Serie A
2010–11 Serie A
The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011...
game in charge was on 31 August 2010 in a 0-0 draw away to Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
in the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara is a multi-purpose stadium in Bologna, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and the home of Bologna F.C. 1909. The stadium was built in 1927 and holds 38,279...
. His first league
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
win as manager came on 11 September 2010, a 2-1 win against Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
at the San Siro. By December 2010, Inter had slumped to 6th in Serie A, 13 points adrift of the top (although Inter played two games less) , having suffered consecutive defeats against arch rivals Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
(which ended a 46 match unbeaten home record), Chievo and Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, as well as losing at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the Champions League, leading to speculation that Benitez's position was under threat. Despite criticism, Benítez guided Inter to win the FIFA Club World Cup
2010 FIFA Club World Cup
- Matches :If a match was tied after normal playing time, 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shootout would be held to determine the winner...
in December 2010. Buoyed by the Club World Cup victory he told the European champions to back him with new signings or consider whether they wanted to keep him as coach, despite the side being the one that won the Treble only a few months earlier. Benitez's demands were dismissed out of hand by the Inter ownership, with owner Moratti refusing to comment Benitez's continued employment by the club. On 23 December, Inter Milan confirmed Benitez's departure.
Relations with other managers
Benítez has had confrontations with both José MourinhoJosé Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
(Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
manager, 2004–2007) and Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
(Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
manager, 1986–) during his time in English football. Benítez made a number of suggestions during Mourinho's tenure as manager that Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
's money had brought Chelsea success, and the pair refused to shake hands after some matches (although Mourinho declared the feud to be over after a league game in 2006). When Mourinho exited Chelsea in 2007, Benítez said "You know my relationship with him, it is better that I do not say anything"; declining to comment as Ferguson and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
had. On 9 January 2009, he delivered a controversial appraisal of certain aspects of Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure, accusing Ferguson and Manchester United of being nervous because Liverpool were at the top of the league, then accused the Manchester United manager of not being punished for breaking FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
rules, suggesting he was "the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things", referring to Ferguson not being punished following an FA charge for comments he made about officials Martin Atkinson
Martin Atkinson
-Europe and international:On 13 October 2007, Atkinson refereed a group C qualifier for Euro 2008 between Moldova and Turkey. The game in the Moldovan capital Chişinău ended a 1–1 draw, with the referee showing two yellow cards....
and Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett
Keith Stuart Hackett is an English former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the Sheffield, Yorkshire, area in 1960...
, following an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie with Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
.
Benítez has also had confrontations with Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
when he was manager of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and more recently Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. When Allardyce was manager of Newcastle he suggested Benítez would have been sacked had Liverpool's European form been as bad as their league form. In a match in April 2009 when Allardyce was manager of Blackburn he accused Benítez of arrogance over a gesture he made when Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
scored Liverpool's second goal. Allardyce suggested that Benítez had signalled the game was over despite Liverpool only having a two goal lead. This view was later supported by Alex Ferguson. Benítez however later explained this gesture. He said he had previously told Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
to take a short free-kick. This instruction was ignored, which resulted in a goal. Benítez said that he had jokingly signalled to Alonso to ignore his instructions and not that he thought the game was effectively over.
Management style
Benítez has developed a reputation in English football as a hard man to please, with Liverpool captain Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
admitting he longed for a "well done" from Benítez after good performances. Benítez's ruthlessness can also be seen in the way he disposed of all but Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
from his Champions League winning squad within four seasons, with penalty shoot-out hero Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Henryk Dudek is a retired Polish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After beginning his career in his home country, he went on to have successful spells in Netherlands and England, winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, appearing in 186 official games for the club over...
made back-up goalkeeper the very season after the European triumph.
Benítez's preferred formation is a 4–2–3–1 which he adopted during his time at Valencia and Liverpool. He has often been praised for his tactical acumen particularly in European ties, setting his team up to exploit opposition weaknesses. His calm demeanour and tactical changes at half time of the 2005 European cup final were said to give players belief they could battle back from 3–0 down, although he had to correct his plans when it was pointed out to him his new formation would require 12 players on the pitch. Benítez often plays key players in unorthodox positions to suit a formation – notably converting both Steven Gerrard (in the 2005/06 season) and Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
into right-wingers. As a right winger/midfielder, Steven Gerrard had the most productive seasons winning wise, claiming a Champions League title, and an FA Cup.
Benítez is a firm believer in squad rotation
Squad rotation system
A squad rotation system is a technique often used in sport, usually association football, which is designed to rest players and give playing time to everyone, rather than to just play the same players in every game...
and zonal marking . Despite heavy criticism from the English press Benítez persisted with the reward of a Champions League and FA Cup triumph in his first two seasons. Benítez argued he needed to rotate his small squad to ensure key players were fit for the latter stages of these knockout competitions.
The tactic of zonal marking is often condemned by pundits when Liverpool concede from set-pieces in spite of the fact that Benítez's squads are usually renowned for ther defensive nature and low number of goals scored against them. Benítez stands by his tactic, pointing out that teams who man-mark concede just as many, if not more, goals from set pieces.
Benítez has been criticised by some sections of the Liverpool support for failing to develop any local players, as none have made the progression from the Academy to the first team under his management while promising youngsters such as Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock
Stephen Warnock is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a left-back.He has been capped by England twice and was part of the nation's squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
, Danny Guthrie
Danny Guthrie
Danny Sean Guthrie is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Newcastle United, as a midfielder.His displays in Liverpool's Academy side earned him a call-up to the England schoolboy side...
and Adam Hammill
Adam Hammill
Adam James Hammill is an English footballer of Irish descent who plays as a winger for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
have been sold to smaller clubs. Martin Kelly meanwhile developed into a first team player. Instead Benitez has brought in some of the top Spanish talent, including Barcelona starlet and U-19 Goldenboot winner Dani Pacheco, FC Cadiz super talent Suso, as well as a 15 year old English starlet Raheem Sterling and 16 year old midfield Jonjo Shelvey from Charlton. Benítez instigated a host of backroom changes at the end of the 2008-09 season to improve the club's youth development, including the appointment of club legend Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
in a senior role at the Academy.
Personal life
Benítez's father, Francisco, worked as a hotelier. His mother is Rosario Maudes. Rosario was a big football fan and supported Real Madrid, while his father supported Atlético Madrid. Francisco died in December 2005 while Benítez was in Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship.Rafael Benítez married Maria de Montserrat in 1998. They have two daughters, Claudia, who was born in Madrid in 1999, and Ágata who was born in Valencia in 2002.
He is fluent in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
Manager
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Extremadura CF Extremadura Club de Fútbol Extremadura was a Spanish football team based in Almendralejo, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1924, it played two seasons in La Liga, and held home games at Estadio Francisco de la Hera, with a capacity of 11,580 seats.-History:Extremadura was founded in 1924,... |
 |
1 July 1997 | 30 June 1999 |
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| Tenerife CD Tenerife Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in... |
|
19 July 2000 | 30 June 2001 |
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| Valencia Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the... |
|
1 July 2001 | 14 June 2004 |
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| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
 |
16 June 2004 | 3 June 2010 |
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| Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
 |
10 June 2010 | 23 December 2010 |
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| Total |
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Manager
Real Madrid U-19s- Spain U-19 League (1): 1993
- Spain U-19 Cup (2): 1991, 1993
Extremadura
- Segunda DivisiónSegunda DivisiónThe Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
- Promotion (1): 1997–98
Tenerife
- Segunda DivisiónSegunda DivisiónThe Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
(1): 2000–01
Valencia
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
(2): 2001–02, 2003–04 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(1): 2003–04
Liverpool
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 2004–05 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(1): 2005–06 - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(1): 20062006 FA Community ShieldThe 2006 FA Community Shield was a football match played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 13 August 2006 between the 2005–06 FA Premier League champions Chelsea and 2005–06 FA Cup winners Liverpool. Liverpool won the match 2–1, with goals coming from John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch... - UEFA Super Cup (1): 20052005 UEFA Super CupThe 2005 UEFA Super Cup was an association football match between Liverpool of England and CSKA Moscow of Russia on 26 August 2005 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, the annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Liverpool were appearing in the Super Cup...
Internazionale
- Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
(1): 20102010 Supercoppa Italiana- References :... - FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
(1): 2010
Individual awards
- Don Balón AwardDon Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga...
(1): 2001–02 - UEFA Manager of the Year(2): 2003–04, 2004–05
- FA Premier League Manager of the Month (5): November 2005, December 2005, January 2007, October 2008, March 2009
See also
- List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers
- List of UEFA Cup winning managers
- List of Liverpool F.C. managers
- List of Valencia CF managersValencia CF managersValencia CF has had a total of 45 coaches in its history. In their beginnings the players of the team received so much counsels of friends as of players and former players of other teams that responded to play Algirós, like were the cases of Juan Armet "Kinke" and Augustine Sancho, while the own...
- List of F.C. Internazionale Milano managers
External links
Biographies- Liverpool FC Official Website profile
- Manager profile at LFChistory.net
- Manager profile at This Is Anfield
Statistics
- Complete management career stats at Liverpool-kop.com
- La Liga manager stats at www.lfp.es
- Segunda División manager stats at www.lfp.es
Valencia CF
Awards
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