Rafael Benítez facts for kids
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Benítez in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Benítez Maudes | ||
| Date of birth | 16 April 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1973–1978 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1979 | Real Madrid Aficionados | ||
| 1979–1981 | Real Madrid Castilla | ||
| 1981 | → Parla (loan) | ||
| 1981–1985 | Parla | 124 | (8) |
| 1985–1986 | Linares | 34 | (7) |
| Total | 158 | (15) | |
| International career | |||
| 1979–1981 | Spain Universities XI | 5 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1986–1993 | Real Madrid U17 | ||
| 1993–1994 | Real Madrid (assistant) | ||
| 1993–1994 | Real Madrid Castilla | ||
| 1994–1995 | Real Madrid Castilla | ||
| 1995–1996 | Valladolid | ||
| 1996 | Osasuna | ||
| 1997–1999 | Extremadura | ||
| 2000–2001 | Tenerife | ||
| 2001–2004 | Valencia | ||
| 2004–2010 | Liverpool | ||
| 2010 | Inter Milan | ||
| 2012–2013 | Chelsea (interim) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Napoli | ||
| 2015–2016 | Real Madrid | ||
| 2016–2019 | Newcastle United | ||
| 2019–2021 | Dalian Professional | ||
| 2021–2022 | Everton | ||
| 2023–2024 | Celta Vigo | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rafael Benítez Maudes (born on April 16, 1960) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player. He is famous for leading teams to win major trophies like the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. Benítez has managed many top clubs across Europe, including Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid. He was most recently the manager of La Liga club Celta Vigo.
Contents
Early Life and Playing Days
Rafael Benítez started his football journey as a player. He played as a midfielder for youth teams like Real Madrid Aficionados and Real Madrid Castilla. He also studied physical education at university.
In 1979, Benítez was chosen to play for the Spain Youth U-19 team. He even scored a goal in his first game. However, a serious injury in another match kept him out for a year. This injury made it hard for him to become a top player. In 1981, he joined Parla and helped them get promoted. He later played for Linares as a player-coach. More injuries forced him to stop playing professionally in 1986.
Becoming a Coach
Starting at Real Madrid
At just 26 years old, Benítez returned to Real Madrid in 1986, but this time as a coach. He started by coaching the club's youth teams. He won two league titles with the Real Madrid Castilla team in 1987 and 1989. He won another league title with the Real Madrid youth team in 1990.
He also coached Real Madrid's under-19 team, winning the Spain Under 19s Cup twice, beating Barcelona in both finals. In 1993, his under-19 team won both the cup and the national league. Benítez also worked as an assistant coach for Real Madrid's senior team for a short time in 1994.
First Senior Coaching Jobs
After leaving Real Madrid, Benítez took on his first senior management roles. His first attempts were not very successful. He managed Real Valladolid in 1995 but was dismissed after only a few wins. In 1996, he managed Osasuna but also left after a short period.
In 1997, he joined Extremadura in the second division. He led them to promotion to La Liga in his first season. However, the team was relegated the next year. Benítez then took a break from football to study in England and Italy. In 2000, he became the manager of Tenerife and helped them get promoted to La Liga in his only season there.
Winning Trophies in Spain
Success with Valencia
In 2001, Benítez became the coach of Valencia. The club had been in two Champions League finals before he arrived. Benítez brought a more attacking style of play to Valencia. He signed players like Mista and Francisco Rufete, who became key players.
In 2002, Benítez led Valencia to win their first La Liga title in 31 years. They won the league by a clear margin. The next season was not as good, but in the 2003–04 season, Valencia won La Liga again. They also won the UEFA Cup, beating Marseille in the final. Despite this success, Benítez had disagreements with the club's director about new players. He resigned from Valencia in June 2004.
Adventures in England
Leading Liverpool to Glory
On June 16, 2004, Benítez became the manager of Liverpool, becoming the first Spanish manager in the Premier League. He wanted to win trophies with one of the world's most important clubs.
In his first season, Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League. However, they had an amazing run in the UEFA Champions League. In the group stages, they needed a late goal from Steven Gerrard to progress. After beating Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus, they faced Chelsea in the semi-final. Liverpool won and reached the final against Milan.
The final, known as the Miracle of Istanbul, was unforgettable. Liverpool were 3–0 down at half-time. Benítez's calm words and tactical changes at half-time helped the team believe. They scored three goals in just six minutes to level the score at 3–3. Liverpool then won the match 3–2 on penalties, with goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek making crucial saves. Benítez became one of only a few managers to win the UEFA Cup and Champions League in back-to-back seasons.
In the 2005–06 season, Liverpool's league form improved. They finished third in the Premier League. They also won the FA Cup, beating West Ham United in a dramatic final. The game ended 3–3, with Steven Gerrard scoring a late equalizer. Liverpool won the trophy after a penalty shootout, thanks to Pepe Reina saving three penalties.
Challenges and Changes
After these successes, many expected Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title. They won the Community Shield against Chelsea. However, their league form was inconsistent. Benítez faced some disagreements with the club's new owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, about signing new players.
Despite these challenges, Benítez led Liverpool to another Champions League final in 2007, where they again faced Milan but lost 2–1. He signed important players like Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, and Yossi Benayoun.
In the 2008–09 season, Liverpool had a strong start, beating Manchester United and ending Chelsea's long unbeaten run at home. They finished second in the league, their best performance under Benítez. He signed a new five-year deal with the club, saying his heart was with Liverpool.
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The 2009–10 season was more difficult. Key player Xabi Alonso was sold, and the team struggled with injuries. Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League and exited the Champions League early. Benítez left Liverpool by mutual agreement on June 3, 2010.
Managing Other Top Clubs
Inter Milan and Chelsea
Just a few days after leaving Liverpool, Benítez became the new coach of Inter Milan in Italy in June 2010. Inter had just won many trophies. He won his first trophy with Inter, the Italian Super Cup, in August 2010. He also led them to win the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2010. However, his time at Inter was short, and he was dismissed later that month.
In November 2012, Benítez was appointed interim manager of Chelsea until the end of the 2012–13 season. His appointment was not popular with some Chelsea fans at first due to his past with Liverpool. Despite this, he led Chelsea to win the Europa League in May 2013, beating Benfica 2–1 in the final. This made him one of the few managers to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League with two different teams. Chelsea also finished third in the Premier League, securing a spot in the Champions League.
Napoli and Real Madrid
In May 2013, Benítez signed a two-year contract to manage Napoli in Italy. In his first season, he guided Napoli to win the Coppa Italia. They also finished third in Serie A, qualifying for the Champions League. He left Napoli at the end of the 2014–15 season.
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On June 3, 2015, Benítez was confirmed as the new manager of Real Madrid, his boyhood club. Real Madrid started the league season unbeaten for a while. However, after some difficult results and reports of disagreements, Benítez's contract was ended on January 4, 2016, after six months.
Newcastle United and Dalian Professional
In March 2016, Benítez took over as manager of Newcastle United, who were struggling in the Premier League. He could not save them from relegation that season. However, he stayed with the club and led them to win the Championship in May 2017, bringing them straight back to the Premier League. He left Newcastle in June 2019.
In July 2019, Benítez moved to China to manage Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional. He left the club in January 2021 due to concerns for his family's health during the global pandemic.
Everton and Celta Vigo
Benítez returned to the Premier League in June 2021, becoming the manager of Everton. This was a notable move as he had previously managed their rivals, Liverpool. His appointment was met with mixed reactions from fans. Everton started well, with an unbeaten run in their first few games. However, their form declined, and Benítez was dismissed in January 2022.
On June 23, 2023, Benítez was appointed manager of La Liga club Celta Vigo. He led Celta to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2017. However, he was sacked on March 12, 2024, after the team struggled in the league.
Relations with Other Managers
During his time in English football, Benítez had some rivalries with other managers. He had disagreements with José Mourinho, who managed Chelsea, and Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United. These rivalries often played out in the media.
Benítez also had confrontations with Sam Allardyce. Despite these rivalries, Benítez always focused on his team's performance and tactics.
Management Style
Benítez is known for his careful and detailed approach to coaching. He often uses a 4–2–3–1 formation, which he used successfully at Valencia and Liverpool. He is highly regarded for his tactical skills, especially in European competitions, where he would set up his team to find and use the weaknesses of the opposing team.
He is a strong believer in squad rotation, which means changing players in the team to keep them fresh and fit. He also uses zonal marking in defense, where players cover specific areas of the pitch rather than individual opponents. These methods sometimes received criticism from the media, but Benítez stuck to his beliefs, which led to trophy wins.
Personal Life
Rafael Benítez's father, Francisco, worked in hotels. His mother, Rosario Maudes, was a big football fan who supported Real Madrid. Rafael Benítez married Maria Montserrat in 1998. They have two daughters. Benítez can speak Spanish, English, French, and Italian fluently.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Real Madrid B | 1 July 1993 | 7 March 1994 | 27 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 48.1 | |
| Real Madrid B | 1 July 1994 | 30 June 1995 | 38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 34.2 | |
| Valladolid | 3 July 1995 | 25 January 1996 | 29 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 17.2 | |
| Osasuna | 1 July 1996 | 4 November 1996 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 27.3 | |
| Extremadura | 1 July 1997 | 30 June 1999 | 92 | 36 | 26 | 30 | 39.1 | |
| Tenerife | 1 July 2000 | 30 June 2001 | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 50.0 | |
| Valencia | 1 July 2001 | 1 June 2004 | 162 | 88 | 41 | 33 | 54.3 | |
| Liverpool | 16 June 2004 | 3 June 2010 | 350 | 194 | 77 | 79 | 55.4 | |
| Inter Milan | 10 June 2010 | 23 December 2010 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 48.0 | |
| Chelsea (interim) | 21 November 2012 | 27 May 2013 | 48 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 58.3 | |
| Napoli | 27 May 2013 | 3 June 2015 | 112 | 59 | 28 | 25 | 52.7 | |
| Real Madrid | 3 June 2015 | 4 January 2016 | 25 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 68.0 | |
| Newcastle United | 11 March 2016 | 30 June 2019 | 146 | 62 | 31 | 53 | 42.5 | |
| Dalian Professional | 2 July 2019 | 23 January 2021 | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 31.6 | |
| Everton | 30 June 2021 | 16 January 2022 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31.8 | |
| Celta Vigo | 1 July 2023 | 12 March 2024 | 33 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 27.3 | |
| Total | 1,204 | 581 | 289 | 334 | 48.3 | |||
Honours
Player
Parla
- Tercera División: 1981–82
Manager
Valencia
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05; runner-up: 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2004–05
- FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005
Inter Milan
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2010
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Chelsea
- UEFA Europa League: 2012–13
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2013–14
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
Newcastle United
- EFL Championship: 2016–17
Individual
- La Liga Best Coach: 2002
- UEFA Manager of the Year: 2003–04, 2004–05
- LMA Special Merit Award: 2006
- Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2005, December 2005, January 2007, October 2008, March 2009, April 2013, November 2018
- EFL Championship Manager of the Month: October 2016
See also
In Spanish: Rafa Benítez para niños
- List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers
- List of UEFA Cup and Europa League winning managers
