Rafael BenÃtez
Rafael Benítez (2013 )
Rafael Benítez Maude [ rafael beniteθ Maude ] ( born April 16, 1960 in Madrid ) is a Spanish football manager and former football player.
Playing career
As a football player Rafael Benítez the Madrilene could produce no great career. In 1979 he took part with the university selection of Spain at the Universiade in Mexico and thereby came to five appearances. At club level he played while at Real Madrid, however, came from 1973 to 1981 never on the reserve team out. Until 1986, he played at second-and third-tier clubs.
Coaching career
Youth coach at Real Madrid
After his playing career, Benítez became a coach. His first year he worked with the juniors and the reserve team of Real Madrid. 1987 and 1989 could Benítez celebrating his first success as a coach, when it was decided the league of its own. More titles followed.
Early years as head coach
He received in 1995 at Real Valladolid his first head coaching job. After 23 games with only two wins, the club had indeed long clung to him, but let him go eventually. During the 1996/97 season Benítez took over at CA Osasuna in the Segunda División, but was released there as well after nine games because of lack of success.
Shortly after he took over in 1997 League rival FC Extremadura. Behind Deportivo Alavés the team reached the second place. This Benítez led the club in the Spanish first division. There, his team managed to avoid relegation. The following year was worse and they were fighting against relegation. This could not avert it and the club was again second-rate.
In 1999, Benítez a year off. He trained in Italy and England on and works as an expert on sports channels like Euro sports. Benítez signed in 2000 then at CD Tenerife. With players like Mista, Curro Torres and Luis García, he managed to re- promotion to the Primera División. The coach did not play with the Canary Island Club but then in the first league, but was lured away from Valencia, where he replaced Héctor Cúper. With Valencia he was in his first season just Spanish masters. This he repeated in 2004 and won in the same season nor the UEFA Cup.
Liverpool FC
The new Spanish champion coach was the first Spanish coach of FC Liverpool and made his final masterpiece as he won the UEFA Champions League with the Reds of Anfield in his first season in a very memorable final against AC Milan. In 2006 he succeeded the victory in the FA Cup. 2007 entered Benítez with Liverpool for the second time in the final of the UEFA Champions League, but this time the AC Milan kept by two goals from Filippo Inzaghi 2-1 the upper hand. 2008 and 2009, his club failed each in half, or quarter-finals at Chelsea. In the 2009/10 season is already retired from the group stage and had to play in the UEFA Europa League. Since the Liverpool faltered in the English Championship, Benítez was over long periods of the season in the criticism. At the end we reached the seventh place in the table, the person entitled to participate in the Europa League. At this time, rumors of a possible move to Juventus were loud. While Italian media have already reported about a fixed exchange, the management of Benítez denied ever any change intentions. After the 2009/10 season parted Liverpool Benítez. Up to this time he had been sitting at 350 official games of the " Reds " on the bench.
Inter Milan
On June 6, 2010, Rafael Benítez new coach of Inter Milan and thus succeeds by José Mourinho. On August 21, 2010 Rafael Benítez won after the 3-1 over AS Roma with the Supercoppa Italiana his first title with Inter Milan. Similarly, the FIFA Club World Cup 2010 was won.
On 23 December 2010 parted Inter Milan Benítez.
Chelsea FC
On November 21, 2012 Benítez took over the succession of the same day dismissed coach Roberto Di Matteo at the London Premier League club Chelsea.
After numerous blasphemous hairs over his person to Benítez decided on 28 February 2013 as regards the separation from Chelsea. In parting, he led the team to win the Europa League 2012/13.
Napoli
For the 2013/14 season Benítez moved to Napoli as a successor to the former coach Walter Mazzarri.
Achievements
- UEFA Cup: 2003/ 04
- UEFA Champions League: 2004/ 05
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
- UEFA Europa League: 2012/13
- Spanish Champion: 2001 / 02, 2003 /04
- FA Cup: 2005/ 06
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- Italian Super Cup winners: 2010
- Spanish Coach of the Year: 2002
- UEFA Coach of the Year: 2004, 2005