For a player to really be at his best you have to give him a certain confidence, but I did not feel appreciated by some people at Liverpool, he told the Mirror. When Mourinho exited Chelsea in 2007, Bentez said, "You know my relationship with him, it is better that I do not say anything", declining to comment as Ferguson and Arsenal manager Arsne Wenger had. "When a player knows he is a slave, he'll never give his employer his heart.. The more we have seen of him the more impressed we have become. Rafa Benitez believes Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium could be key to who wins their Champions League clash with Liverpool. On 21 August 2010, Bentez won his first trophy as manager, the Italian Super Cup, after they defeated Roma 31. However, as the labour dragged on, the Reds boss had a decision to make as he went ahead without the midfielder and ultimately snubbed Alonsos offer to fly out on the day of the game. Liverpool finished third in the league, missing out on second place by one point. Yet he would return to Spurs just seven months later, and at an 8m loss, having quickly fallen out of favour under Benitez. Keep up to date with the latest breaking news, transfer gossip and everything LFC with thousands of Reds! Benitez spent six years as Liverpool manager, winning the Champions League in 2005 and reaching the final of the competition in 2007. [94] Bentez agreed a two-year contract after meeting club president Aurelio De Laurentiis in London. This is a player who had spent time in prison and played in the Premier League wearing an electronic tag after all. A horrific broken leg derailed the Frenchmans first season with the club, though he would return to help them win the Champions League in 2005. The French hit-man was booked for pulling his shirt over . He smiled at me from behind his desk. However, the second leg was cancelled and Madrid were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player. I didnt know what to do, I didnt want to leave! Peter Crouch has suggested that Rafael Benitez's prior association with Liverpool was, in part, behind his undoing as Everton manager.. Benitez, 61, was given his marching orders on Sunday, less than 24 hours after his side were beaten by relegation-threatened Norwich City. START DATES 2021-22 FA Community Shield Bentez left the club "by mutual consent" on 3 June 2010[50] with a reported 6million pay-off;[51] the media speculated that this was because the team had finished seventh in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League, and suffered poor results, including the defeat by Wigan Athletic. I don't want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool, but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso. Fully fit again in time for Benitezs arrival, he featured throughout pre-season and even scored in a friendly vs Celtic. In some ways, it is a surprise that Benitez lasted this long. GAMEWEEK 7 - DISCUSSION, RANT & INFO THREAD. His dialogue with the players is practically nil. [79], At the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2012, Chelsea defeated Monterrey 31 to reach the final,[80] where they were beaten 10 by Brazilian side Corinthians. "All players want to play in such great matches and I had been playing regularly before the Carling Cup final. The injury saw him sidelined for a year and hampered his chances of becoming a major player. He was unable to avoid relegation, but earned promotion back to the Premier League the following year, winning the Championship. "I was furious with him, absolutely fuming, and in my head I could hear a devilish voice saying punch him in the face punch him in the face and hell let you go to Germany. End of story.". ", "Sammy Lee back as Liverpool assistant coach", "Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and chief exec Rick Parry call a truce", "Never Walk Alone? A scorer of big goals, he produced countless important moments in his three seasons with the club as the Reds challenged for the Premier League title and progressed in the Champions League. "With Rafa, it is all about himself. "I had to be with my partner. [133], Bentez has developed a reputation in English football as a hard man to please, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitting he longed for a "well done" from Bentez after good performances. It was up and down but at the same time I had a great experience there. [22], Dudek's heroics in the final were not enough for him to stay as first-choice keeper, as newly signed Pepe Reina replaced him in from the start of the 200506 season. Benitez did far more. "As a player, you just want a bit of fun, to make training good and lively. Ill have Scott and a kid from the Academy. I was with the national side, before the World Cup, he recalled to the Times. Im not a defensive midfielder. [8], Bentez subsequently quit Extremadura and took a year off from football to study in England and Italy. Benitez swapped Liverpool for Inter Milan in 2010 and last coached in the Premier League at Newcastle before joining Chinese side Dalian Professional in 2019, leaving that role in January. Subscribe to the CV Academy. "[118], On 2 July 2019, Bentez was appointed manager of Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional (formerly Dalian Yifang), signing a two-and-a-half-year deal. He also played a further three games for the Spain Universities XI. Despite heavy criticism from the English press[141] Bentez persisted with the reward of a Champions League and FA Cup triumph in his first two seasons. He left the club by mutual consent in January 2021 before taking over as manager at Everton in June. [127], Bentez has had confrontations with both Jos Mourinho (Chelsea manager from 2004 to 2007) and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson during his time in English football. Rafa Benitez has given his verdict on Liverpool's chances of finishing in the Premier League's top four. "I was never given a chance and that hurts. In the years since leaving Liverpool, Keane has never criticised Benitez for selling the striker but believes the Spaniard was simply the wrong manager for him at the wrong time in his career. I've got two or three possibilities already and things are starting to move behind the scenes.". He was different class, the amount of goals and assists that he got. Given Bellamys reputation, you can imagine these were not the only occasions when the duo failed to see eye to eye. It was either his way or no way. He won the Spain Under 19s Cup in 1991 and 1993, defeating Barcelona in both finals. Liverpool paid 20m when signing Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2009. Perhaps the most obvious name on this list. I havent played all season. [6], In 1986, at the age of 26, Bentez returned to Real Madrid to join the club's coaching staff. The 61-year-old collapsed at his Starkville home but did not receive medical attention for between ten to 15 minutes. Let us know in the comments section below Albert Rieras falling out with Benitez is pretty cut and dry. I played all of last year, and sometimes if I did not play so well in one game, I would still play the next week. Project Runway Season 9 Finalist, Fashion Designer: famous for my pants! . [23], Bentez's signings helped the club's Premiership form improve considerably. In February 2007, he was caught up in a drunken fight with team-mate John Arne Riise. Benitez tried to break me like he broke Riera. On 4 January 2016, Bentez's contract was terminated following allegations of unpopularity with supporters, displeasure with players and a failure to get good results against top sides. [147][146] Francisco died in December 2005 while Bentez was in Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship. In the red corner, Achraf Hakimi is a fight away from one of the greatest underdog stories of all time. Having just witnessed arguably the most stunning comeback in the competition's history, when Rafa Benitez's unfancied side had fought back from 3-0 down to a world-class AC Milan outfit to win on . [56] Bentez's first Serie A game in charge was on 31 August 2010 in a 00 draw away to Bologna in the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. But to this day I still think I should have stayed. All of a sudden youre confused. He also won the FA Cup in 2006 and reached the 2007 Champions League Final, but was unable to win the Premier League, with Liverpool's best league performance under Bentez a second-place finish in 200809. [81] Chelsea progressed to the League Cup semi-finals with a 51 win over Leeds United at Elland Road and then recorded an 80 win over Aston Villa, equalling their record top-flight victory. I am still very upset. I really need to play games to be prepared for the World Cup.. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt. 20th Sep 2022, 7:39am. The situation got worse afterwards. [6], The first attempts by Bentez at senior management away from the Real Madrid fold were less than successful. You can't treat a player like this and expect him to be happy. [53] On 15 June 2010, Bentez was presented to the Italian media for the first time after signing a two-year deal. It was a permanent deal or nothing as far as he was concerned. "On the day before the final game of last season at Hull, Benitez pulled me to one side after training and said: 'You will not be in the squad for this game. Don't sign. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 33 draw. [153][154][155], For the American submarine commander, see, 200104: Twice Spanish champions and UEFA Cup winners, Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 18:18, have won all three major European trophies, following season's Champions League group stage, European Coach of the YearAlf Ramsey Award, List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers, List of UEFA Cup and Europa League winning managers, "Bentez: Rafael Bentez Maudes: Manager", "Benitez On What He Can Prove At Everton", "Rafael Benitez - an adopted Scouser from Red to Blue", "Rafael Benitez - a complete profile of Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez", "Rafa Bentez: the early years at Extremadura and Tenerife", Caizares explica a Casillas por qu Albelda "hinch de leches" a Zidane en su debut: "Tena que saber a quin se enfrentaba", "Remembering Rafa Benitez's Valencia Side That Took Spain By Storm", "Emery joins growing band of Spanish managers", "Bentez boost as Gerrard stays at Liverpool", "Is Jamie Carragher England's best defender? I hadnt got on. I learnt a lot. It was suggested that Bentez's position was now under serious threat. The club began their campaign with an unimpressive 21 aggregate win over Grazer AK in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages. Bentez stands by his tactic, pointing out that teams who man-mark concede just as many, if not more, goals from set pieces. I spent six months with Liverpool hardly getting a game. "I believe in these situations it is better to talk about it and try to fix it, or at least make sure everyone knows where they stand. He didnt know I spent my whole childhood dreaming of playing for Liverpool, he didnt know I had all those memories and feelings. The Reds play the Spanish champions on Tuesday in the round of 16 first-leg at Anfield. Bentez said that he had jokingly signalled to Alonso to ignore his instructions and not that he thought the game was effectively over. So I asked who he was going to sign. ", "Why Liverpool's Rafa Benitez is a master tactician", "Jamie Carragher: What really happened at half-time in Istanbul", "Rafa Benitez is the man behind Steven Gerrard's 100", "The cult of permanent rotation blights Bentez's bid for title", "Liverpool's demise against Chelsea the fault of Rafael Benitez's zonal marking", "RT Sport: Benitez stands by zonal marking", "Atltico fans ensure home is where the hatred is for Bentez", "Benitez to stay with Liverpool despite loss of father", "Montserrat Seara: "En nuestra primera cita Rafa me explic el 4-4-2", "Juventus seeking to prise Rafael Bentez away from Liverpool", "Rafa Benitez learned English listening to The Beatles and reveals man who inspired him to be manager", "Rafael Benitez replaces Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea manager", "AD Parla: el tesoro que esconde Los Prados, el estadio en el que Rafa Bentez deslumbr como futbolista", "Rafael Benitez named Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month", Complete management career stats at Liverpool-kop.com, Rafael Bentez management career statistics, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rafael_Bentez&oldid=1140350114, *Club domestic league appearances and goals, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 18:18. The striker would join West Ham United in a 7.5m deal, as Benitez went on to replace him with Fernando Torres, before later returning to Liverpool in August 2011 and enjoying a more successful stint with his boyhood club under Kenny Dalglish. A 6.7m signing from Birmingham City in the summer of 2006, he impressed during his first season with the club and was a standout performer in their 2007 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan. Rafa Benitez. But, with Rafa, the training was so boring that youd come in and all youd want to do was slit your wrists! [11] These differences of opinion saw Bentez resign as Valencia coach on 1 June 2004. - Heart stops when I see the draw for the semi finals of the league and we drew Cardiff. Rafa Benitez has been in England working with Sky Sports and made clear that he would like to return to the Premier League after his last job with Everton.. "I am fine and happy in . Everton won four of their first six league games under Benitez, taking 13 points from a possible 18, but their form has collapsed since October. Trump was so enraged at mockery by late night host Jimmy Kimmel he tried to get him censored, report says Yet he scored just one Premier League goal in the second half of the season and was sold to Aston Villa in the summer of 2005, starting his final game for the Reds as they famously beat AC Milan to win the Champions League. It was the same for me. I am not interested in making Rafa my enemy in the slightest, quite the opposite, but ultimately it is about playing, and if I am not, we have to talk about why not. When that starts happening, you have to assume it is something personal, rather than professional. My objective is to go to the World Cup and for this I have to play. If your player didn't start or saw a red card, or you picked the wrong player, captain, or other, this is the place to share all your rants. [25] Bentez swiftly issued a statement through the club's website re-affirming his desire to remain with Liverpool for the long term. Liverpool host Real on Tuesday night in the first leg of their. Rafa Benitez at the Run for the 96 5K in Stanley Park, Liverpool (Image: Liverpool Echo) But being a born winner is just one part of Benitez's multi-layered appeal. Rafael Benitez might have been sacked by Premier League club Everton, but the red half of Merseyside still remembers him fondly. 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 Bentez was not being backed sufficiently in the transfer market. The man management was down to his staff. Halfway through the 199091 season he succeeded Jos Antonio Camacho as the coach of Real Madrid's under-19 team. A controversial early goal in the second leg from Luis Garca saw Liverpool win 10 on aggregate and reach the final against Milan. Rafael "Rafa" Bentez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish football manager who was the manager of Liverpool from 2004-2010. Liverpool have announced manager Rafael Benitez has left the club by mutual consent after six years in charge. In truth, he didnt have time to as Benitez made it clear early on that he had no future at the club. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Meanwhile in an interview with the Independent, he said: He (Benitez) promised me certain things at this time to help me develop which I thought was the same as Ajax but at a different pace. He told me I was a better player as a substitute instead of starting in the team. The. "If I'm doing something badly and you are my boss, and you value me, then you are going to come and tell me what I have to do to play again. "I would like to be here for the rest of my career, but players live to play. Still remember seeing him pull what appeared to be a tooth out of his mouth after colliding with a goalpost. And after falling down the pecking order at Anfield, the Poland international was involved in a couple of controversial incidents before departing on a free transfer to Real Madrid in 2007. The 37-year-old, who retired at the end of an unsuccessful Ashes tour of England in 2015, said he would consider returning in any capacity to help out Cricket Australia (CA)."I would do anything to 419HbFo help the Australian cricket team," he told Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper on Sunday. It was funny. But with Rafa, it was constant directions. Milan Baros finished Benitez's first season at Liverpool as the club's top goalscorer. [49] The club subsequently exited the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Atltico Madrid. It's a dream for me such a fantastic club have given me this opportunity. Rafael Benitez predicted, in this very space, on Tuesday morning, precisely where the risk lay when it came to Liverpool v Real Madrid. [13] On his arrival he stated: "It is like a dream to be here. [102][103] Real Madrid remained unbeaten in the league until a 32 loss at Sevilla in the 11th matchday. [109] Bentez would have to wait until 16 April for his first win in charge of The Magpies, recording a convincing 30 victory over Swansea City in the Premier League. [28] It was reported Bentez 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. [44] Bentez defended his decisions, arguing Liverpool's slow start was due to key players such as Steven Gerrard being below par.[45]. Real later played Cdiz in the Copa del Rey round of 32, winning away 31 in the first leg. Which Liverpool player do you wish Rafa Benitez had never sold? [19], In a classic final, dubbed the Miracle of Istanbul, Liverpool came from 30 down at half time to level the score at 33 in the space of just six minutes, eventually triumphing 32 on penalties with the assistance of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek. Don't do or say anything. "I will remember Liverpool fondly as a success but not the situation I've found myself in. Later in the summer transfer window, Bentez signed several players from La Liga, most notably Luis Garca and Xabi Alonso, both of whom drew immediate admiration from Liverpool supporters. [138] His calm demeanour and tactical changes at half time of the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final were said to give players belief they could battle back from 30 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. Carl Lewis? But while the striker disputed such claims, he did twice voice his grievances with some of his managers decisions to the press over the course of the season, prior to being sold to the Villans in a 6.5m deal. [64], On 21 November 2012, following the dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea appointed Bentez as interim first-team manager until the end of the 201213 season. I had to make a decision and decided to be with my family. [114], On 24 June 2019, Newcastle announced that Bentez would step down as Manager upon the expiration of his contract, and he departed the club on 30 June 2019.