The negotiations started. When that starts happening, you have to assume it is something personal, rather than professional. Shortly after his departure from Anfield, Bentez made a 96,000 donation to the Hillsborough Family Support Group. "I was never given a chance and that hurts. Project Runway Season 9 Finalist, Fashion Designer: famous for my pants! [57] His first league win as manager came on 11 September 2010, a 21 win against Udinese at the San Siro. Mike Leach 'had a heart attack and may have suffered brain damage' Now in charge at Everton, Lucas Digne could be the latest player to not get a second chance with Benitez after the France international defender found himself dropped in recent weeks following a reported falling out between the pair. The former Liverpool manager remains a top defensive mind but will have his work cut out for him when he brings his Newcastle side to Anfield. Eight of the side's remaining 10 away matches are against teams below them in the table, which should offer some decent opportunities to counter-attack from midfield. . [135], Bentez's preferred formation is a 4231 which he adopted during his time at Valencia and Liverpool. Rafael Benitez's last interview as Everton boss. Would he let me go? Kylian Mbappe and good friend Achraf Hakimi prepare to do battle I thought: 'No matter how the manager is treating me, I'm showing the fans the club is in my heart.' I raised my voice. Rafael Bentez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who most recently managed Premier League club Everton.. Bentez 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. But after being sent off in a Champions League clash with Porto in September 2007 and suffering an injury against Besiktas, his fortunes turned and he fell down the pecking order after being unable to regain his place or recapture his earlier form. He started to get up to go but I told him to wait for a second. Bentez made a number of suggestions during Mourinho's tenure as manager that Roman Abramovich's money had bought Chelsea's 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). An official statement from the club said, "Rafa will forever be part of Liverpool folklore after bringing home the Champions League following the epic final in Istanbul but after a. LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 17: Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton is challenged by Tomas Soucek of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 17, 2021 in Liverpool, England. 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. He spoke a lot to us to change the intensity." Three days before the transfer window closed I went in to see him again Relax, Jerzy, theres still time, but we want a permanent deal, but Meier was telling me that Rafa was still refusing to take his calls! And after moving to Stamford Bridge, Benayoun would lay into his former Reds boss, insisting he was the only reason he had any interest in leaving Anfield. According to Santiago Caizares, the squad was initially surprised but they were immediately won over by his modesty as he presented himself as quoted: "You come from the Champions League final and I come from Segunda Divisin, but humbly I think I have tools to make you improve". I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. Also added was England defender Glen Johnson for a 17.5million fee. [58], By December 2010, Inter had slumped to sixth 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),[59] Chievo and Lazio, as well as losing at Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, leading to speculation that Bentez's position was under threat. 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. Despite this win, Chelsea failed to progress beyond the group stage of the competition. After his success with the U19s, Bentez then succeeded Garca Remn at the start of the 199394 season. We played attacking football. [40], Prior to Bentez's final season at Liverpool, Xabi Alonso, one of the key members of Bentez's squad, was sold to Real Madrid following a lengthy pursuit in a deal reportedly worth 30million. Steven Gerrard has lifted the lid on his "frosty" relationship with former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. In the penultimate league game of the season, Chelsea won 21 away to Aston Villa, a game in which Frank Lampard set the all-time scoring record at Chelsea. Jurgen Klopp's respect for Rafa Benitez spotted during Liverpool's It was up and down but at the same time I had a great experience there. See you on Wednesday.. Initially, he joined Parla on loan, but eventually signed for them permanently and helped them gain promotion to Segunda Divisin B. He (Benitez) said it would be a good move for me, adding: Well definitely help you, well do whatever it takes to make a deal, Dudek recalled. The season also saw Bentez make his debut in the Champions League, where his side reached the quarter-finals, losing to Inter Milan. It was either his way or no way. Ill have Scott and a kid from the Academy. The next couple of days were a couple of the hardest days of my life. 134 appearances and 29 goals would seemingly demonstrate that. An act of treason to some fans but what Rafa Benitez gave Liverpool [citation needed], In 200304 season, Valencia won La Liga with three games to spare and beat Marseille 20 in the UEFA Cup final. I repeat, if they come back in today they must pay double., I felt he was treating me unfairly, but thats how Rafa operated. [citation needed], However, Liverpool's poor results in the New Year led to a sharper focus on Bentez, who had missed Liverpool's draw at Arsenal in December due to an operation to remove kidney stones. And Babel has since described his relationship with his first Reds manager as weird, repeating pointing the finger of blame at Benitez for the fact he was unable to push on on Merseyside. Topics the dayTopicsThe Best winnersInflation Relief Checks liveF1 Bahrain TVNBA scheduleChampions League schedulesNBANFLNFL ScoresNFL ScheduleLaLiga StandingsLaLiga ScoresPremier League StandingsPremier League SchedulePremier League ScoresEuropa League ScheduleEuropa League ScoresSerie ScoresPowerball numbers todayMega Millions numbers todayWBC teams schedule2023. Youve got some instructions and tactics in your mind and yet hes shouting even more at you. Rafa Benitez. However, like in Murphys case with Alonso and Garcia, Benitez could again claim to have made the right call as his decision to sideline Henchoz ultimately came hand-in-hand with the inspired switch to move Jamie Carragher back to centre-back, with the Liverpool legends own partnership with Hyypia usurping Houlliers previous duo. Bajcetic has been one of the few positives for the Reds throughout a disappointing season and looks set for the biggest game of his career tonight. I say by myself on the plane back to England the next day. "Once you reached that euphoria that satisfaction and happiness, you enjoy the moment and see everything around you, all the red with so many people with so much passion. Mr Benitez relinquishes his position as team manager after six years and the Board of Directors would. "We were going into labour, and I told Rafa that I could not go. [134] Bentez'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. Then he said: I think its time we go our separate ways, Riise recalled in his 2018 autobiography. Maybe I will never swallow it. Former Liverpool and Inter Milan boss Rafael Benitez believes the Nerazzurri should be worried about the Reds' attack ahead of their Champions League clash on Wednesday. Mauricio Pochettino 'SACKED by PSG after agreeing to terminate contract And it appears that such a deterioration stemmed from the midfielder missing the Reds trip to the San Siro to face Inter Milan in March 2008 to be present for the birth of his child, with Benitez trying to sell Alonso the following summer to help fund a move for Gareth Barry. Rafa Benitez was sacked as Everton manager on Sunday after a 2-1 loss at Norwich City. Malcolm Macdonald in a rare Newcastle United attack during the ill-fated FA Cup final against Liverpool on May 4, 1974 . When I look back I could have done things differently but at the same time I also think I could have got more guidance from the coaches.. Benitez defence a stern test for Liverpool's attack. That was why, when Pako Ayestarn (his assistant) went, they had a parting of the ways and things started to go downhill a bit.". Rafa Benitez's team lost 1-0 on both occasions to a Spurs XI each time . [53] On 15 June 2010, Bentez was presented to the Italian media for the first time after signing a two-year deal. [16], During his first season, Bentez was unable to improve Liverpool's form in the Premiership. If you want to go and speak to other clubs, thats fine'. That is something I can never forget. Missing a match, however big, for the birth of your first child is perfectly understandable, with it appearing the only disagreement between the two came from Benitez declining Alonsos suggestion to later link up with the squad. I dont know how, but I managed to stop myself. [49] The club subsequently exited the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Atltico Madrid. [24], Following Bentez's great early success, the English media were predicting Liverpool would challenge Chelsea for the 200607 Premier League title after Bentez addressed Liverpool's perceived weaknesses in the transfer window, a belief reaffirmed after his side won the Community Shield with a 21 victory over Chelsea. 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. Starting the 3-2 AET second leg defeat a week later, it would prove to be his final appearance for the club as Benitez called him into his office to tell him he would be sold and wouldnt be involved for the remaining games of the season. 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. Liverpool have announced manager Rafael Benitez has left the club by mutual consent after six years in charge. He also confirmed that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. Evolution of the football manager | FM Base Poor, but better than them. But then for the first game of the new season I wasn't in the team again. I havent played all season. I dont think people in England ever saw the best of me. "I was disappointed and that is all. Bentez's tactics were credited as a key factor in Liverpool reaching, and winning, the final, despite a relatively unimpressive squad of players. If you want to stay, theres not much point, I know you like playing and youre better off going. But dont tell me you need pace. Starting the following season strongly, his manager even called for him to be given an England call-up. Cisse admitted, after joining Marseille on loan, that he did hold a grudge against Benitez for forcing him out. On the winning goal scored by Branislav Ivanovi, Juan Mata said, "Rafa told us we had to aim to the far post, because it was Artur's weakest place. At half-time of the Champions League final, Benitez's Reds were 3-0 . I am very, very proud to be joining one of the most important clubs in the world in one of the best leagues in the world - and I want to win. He also brought in both Mista from his former club and Francisco Rufete from Mlaga, with Mista going on to become top goalscorer for Valencia with 19 goals in the 200304 season. In 1993, the team completed a double when they also won the national under-19 league. Newcastle United at Wembley: 13 times the Magpies played at the [125], Everton's form declined in the following months, and after a 21 defeat to bottom-placed Norwich City at Carrow Road, Benitez was relieved of his duties on 16 January 2022 after six-and-a-half months in charge, with Everton in 15th place, six points above the relegation zone, having lost nine of their previous 13 games. Benitez went to Real Madrid instead and Rodgers limped on until Klopp, who had long since been identified as the perfect successor, made it clear he was ready to cut short his sabbatical.. Then, when we played Birmingham after I hadn't started a game for a month, he didn't tell me I was starting until two hours before the game. "I scored 19 goals and I never played! During the 199697 season, Bentez took charge at Osasuna in the Segunda Divisin, but after only nine games and one win, he was dismissed. Or when Bentez takes me off during a game even if I haven't used up all my energy on the pitch. 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. So I hadnt expected this. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Bentez played as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados in the Tercera Divisin and Castilla CF in the Segunda Divisin. [43] Bentez's decision to sell Alonso and replace him in the side with Lucas Leiva, in addition to Aquilani having arrived at the club injured, was called into question as Liverpool's title campaign began with two defeats in the first three games. "It is good for Liverpool that Benitez has gone, but it was too late for me. West Ham board's five options to replace David Moyes after Brighton And I remember thinking, oh my, this is going to be trouble, this is going to be difficult for me'. "I have to finally tell Rafa I'm leaving because maybe he's not aware of it, he said. 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. Yet he would return to Spurs just seven months later, and at an 8m loss, having quickly fallen out of favour under Benitez. I still dont know his real reasons. But an exchange with Benitez did leave the Frenchman rather bemused on his way out. His mother is Rosario Maudes. Rafa Benitez says Liverpool have an outstanding 18-year-old youngster The previous season when we finished second in the Premier League, I was happy with my performance in the final months but I was not sure if the manager thought I was a good player,. This is nonsense and it is a fabrication that I wanted to leave the stadium. "I'm not one of these players that likes to sit around on the bench and just pick my money up. Bentez argued he needed to rotate his small squad to ensure key players were fit for the latter stages of these knockout competitions. The. 8m ESPN. A lot of people at Liverpool treated me well and asked me to stay, but I could not turn down such a massive club as Chelsea. Bentez, however, did reach his first English domestic cup final, losing the League Cup final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium 32 after extra time.[17]. Trump was so enraged at mockery by late night host Jimmy Kimmel he tried to get him censored, report says "It was such a bad season for me. In the red corner, Achraf Hakimi is a fight away from one of the greatest underdog stories of all time. I'm a total fan of his tactical methods, and have read a lot about it. Down to 9 men we go on the attack and with a Jean Makoun . The situation is said to be dire and Leach may have suffered seizures. Istanbul's districts extend far from the city center along the full length of the Bosphorus (with the Black Sea at top and the Sea of Marmara at bottom).