| Rafael Benítez | ||
 Benitez during Liverpool's match at Manchester City, April 2007 |
||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Benítez Maudes | |
| Date of birth | 16 April 1960 | |
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. 78 m) | |
| Playing position | Midfielder (retired) | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Liverpool (manager) | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 197x–1974 | Real Madrid Aficionados | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1974–1981 1981–1985 1985–1986 |
Castilla CF AD Parla CD Linares |
|
| National team | ||
| 1979–1981 | Spain Universities XI | 5 (X) |
| Teams managed | ||
| 1986–1989 1989–1991 1991–1993 1993–1995 1995–1996 1996–1997 1997–1999 2000–2001 2001–2004 2004– |
Castilla Youth B Real Madrid Youth B Real Madrid U-19s Real Madrid B Real Valladolid CA Osasuna CF Extremadura CD Tenerife Valencia CF Liverpool |
|
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez (born April 16, 1960) is a Spanish former footballer and current manager. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Coach (baseball|Coach (basketball|Coach (ice hockeyIn Sports a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction instruction and training of the operations He has managed English club Liverpool since June 2004. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. He has previously managed Valencia CF and five other La Liga teams. Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia or Los Che) is a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or Benítez became the most successful Valencia CF manager in their history after just three seasons in charge. In 2002, he led the club to their first La Liga title since 1971, and in 2004 he led the club to a La Liga/UEFA Cup double. The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or In 2005 he guided Liverpool to victory in the UEFA Champions League and the European Super Cup and in 2006 he led them to victory in the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Benítez became only the third manager, after Bob Paisley and José Mourinho, to win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons. Robert " Bob " Paisley OBE (23 January 1919 — 14 February 1996 was an English football half back who became José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho, GOIH (ʒuˈzɛ moˈɾiɲu (born 26 January 1963 in Setúbal) is a Portuguese The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club He is also the first manager to achieve this with two different clubs. He became the second Liverpool manager, after Joe Fagan, to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in his first season in charge. Joe Fagan (born 12 March, 1921 in Liverpool, died 30 June, 2001) was an English football manager best known Throughout his career Benítez has also won several individual awards. He was awarded Manager of the Year titles by both Don Balón and El País in 2002 while at Valencia CF and was named Madrid Coach of the Year for 2005 by Seven Stars Sport. Don Balón is a Spanish weekly sports magazine specialising in Spanish and international football, founded in 1975 El País ( Spanish for "The Country" is the most widely-circulated Daily newspaper in Spain. Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia or Los Che) is a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia
Contents |
Personal life
Rafael Benítez Maudes was born on April 16, 1960, into a middle-class Madrid family. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. His father, Francisco Benítez, worked as a hotelier. His mother is Rosario Maudes. Rosario was a big football fan and supported Real Madrid, while his father supported Atletico Madrid. Club Atlético de Madrid is a Spanish football club based in Madrid who play in the Primera División of La Liga. Francisco died in December 2005 while Benítez was in Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The 2005 FIFA Club World Championship was a football tournament held in Japan between 11 December and 18 December 2005 and won by He is the second of three children. His older brother, also called Francisco, was born in 1959, while his younger sister, called Rosario, was born several years later. Both studied veterinary science and Rosario later became a vet. In 1998, Benítez married his wife, Maria de Montserrat, a Doctor of Law, born in Ourense. Ourense (Orense Galician: Ourense) is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Ourense in Galicia. They have two daughters, Claudia, who was born in Madrid in 1999, and Ágata who was born in Valencia in 2002 [1]. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous
Early career
Playing career
The young Benitez attended several schools throughout Madrid and played for various school teams. Among his school friends and team mates was Ricardo Gallego. Ricardo Gallego Redondo (born 8 February 1959) is a Spanish former footballer. He also showed his early potential as a coach when at the age of thirteen he began training a children’s football team. At the age of twelve Benítez joined the Real Madrid cantera. Cantera, literally meaning " Quarry " in Spanish, is a term used in Spain to refer to youth academies organized by sports clubs He progressed through the ranks, playing as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados in the Tercera División and Castilla CF, in the Segunda División. Real Madrid C is a Spanish football team that plays in the Tercera División. The Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the ''Segunda División B''. The Segunda División (Second Division is the lower tier of the two professional leagues in Spain consisting of 22 teams 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. The Technical University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid UPM) is a Spanish University, located in Madrid.
In 1979 Benítez was selected to play for the Spain Universities XI at the World Student Games in Mexico City and he scored a penalty in the opening game, a 4–0 win against Cuba. The Universiade is an International Multi-sport event, organized for University athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico 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 AD Parla. The Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. Agrupación Deportiva Parla is a football team based in Parla in the autonomous community of Community of Madrid. Initially he joined Parla on loan, but eventually signed for them permanently and helped them gain promotion to Segunda División B. Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. He also played a further three games for the Spain Universities XI. In 1985 he signed for Segunda División B club Linares CF and under Enrique Mateos he served as a player/coach. Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. Club Deportivo Linares is a football team based in Linares in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Enrique Mateos Mancebo (born 15 July 1934) is a former Spanish footballer who played for Real Madrid and was part of their European Further injury problems saw him miss almost the entire 1985–86 season and he subsequently retired as a player. [2].
Real Madrid youth coach
In 1986, at the age of twenty six, Benítez returned to Real Madrid 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 is a Spanish football team that plays in the ''Segunda División 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 U-19s. José Antonio Camacho Alfaro (born June 8, 1955 in the village of Cieza, Murcia) is a former Spanish Football (soccer With this team he won the Spain U-19 Cup in 1991 and 1993, beating FC Barcelona in both finals. Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol is a youth Football tournament in Spain which is disputed between sixteen teams from the División de Honor Juvenil The seven winners and runners-up Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan In 1993 the team completed a double when they also won the national U-19 league. The División de Honor Juvenil is the top level of the Spanish football league system for youth players 18 years old and under While at Real, Benítez also gained his coaching certificate in 1989 and in the summer of 1990 he taught at a football camp at UC Davis in California. The University of California Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, or just UCD, is a public coeducational university located in the city of Davis, California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
During the 1992-93 season Benítez also worked as an assistant coach to Mariano García Remón at Real Madrid B. Mariano García Remón (born 30 September 1950 in Madrid) is a Spanish football coach and former footballer. Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the ''Segunda División B''. After his success with the U-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 September 4 1993 he made his debut as a Segunda División manager with a 3-1 over Hércules CF. The Segunda División (Second Division is the lower tier of the two professional leagues in Spain consisting of 22 teams Hércules Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football team formed in 1922 and based in Alicante. 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. Vicente del Bosque (born December 23, 1950, in Salamanca, Spain) is a Spanish football coach the current manager [3].
Promotion specialist
The first attempts by Benítez at senior management away from the Real Madrid 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. Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club Formed on June 20, 1928, from the amalgamation of Real Unión Deportiva de Valladolid and Club The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or During the 1996–97 season, Benítez took charge at CA Osasuna in the Segunda División but after only 9 games and one win he was sacked. Club Atlético Osasuna, usually known as Osasuna, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Pamplona in Navarre The Segunda División (Second Division is the lower tier of the two professional leagues in Spain consisting of 22 teams In 1997, he joined another Segunda División side, CF Extremadura and this time led them to promotion, finishing second in the table behind Deportivo Alavés, after winning 23 out of 42 games. Club de Fútbol Extremadura is a football team based in Almendralejo in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Deportivo Alavés, usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish Segunda División football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz CF Extremadura only survived one season in Primera División, however, and were relegated in 1999 after finishing seventeenth and losing a play-off to Villarreal CF. Villarreal Club de Fútbol, usually abbreviated to Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Villarreal
Benítez subsequently quit CF Extremadura and took a year out studying in England and Italy. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest He also worked as a commentator/analyst for Eurosport, Marca, El Mundo and local Madrid TV. Eurosport is the largest European sports Satellite and cable network available in 54 countries and broadcasting in 20 different languages Marca is a Spanish daily sports newspaper that deals mostly with Football -related topics from a rather yellow perspective El Mundo ( Spanish for "The World" full name El Mundo del Siglo Veintiuno, "The World of the 21st century" is the second largest 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 FC and Real Betis. Club Deportivo Tenerife is a Spanish football team based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Miguel Ángel Ferrer Martínez, aka Mista (born November 12, 1978 in Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia) is a Spanish football Cristóbal Emilio Torres Ruiz, aka Curro Torres (born December 27, 1976 in Ahlen, West Germany) is a Spanish footballer Luis Javier García Sanz (born June 24 1978 in Badalona, Spain) commonly known as Luis García, is a Spanish The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or Sevilla Fútbol Club is a Spanish professional football club that plays in the top-flight Spanish La Liga championship Real Betis Balompié is a Spanish football club in Sevilla founded in 1907
Valencia CF
2001–02 - Champions of Spain
In 2001 Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia CF, replacing Hector Cuper. Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia or Los Che) is a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia Héctor Raúl Cúper (born November 16, 1955 in Chabás Santa Fe Province, Argentina) is a former football defender and the The club had previously approached Javier Irureta, Mané and Luis Aragonés and had been turned down by all three. Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano (born April 1, 1948 in Irún, Guipúzcoa) also referred to as Javier Irureta, is a Spanish José Manuel Esnal Pardo (born Balmaseda, Basque Country, Spain), also referred to as Mané, is a Spanish Basque football José Luis Aragonés Suárez (born July 28, 1938, Hortaleza Madrid) sometimes referred to as simply Luis, is a former Spanish However the club director Javier Subirats recognised the potential of Benítez and campaigned for his appointment. Despite the loss of both Gaizka Mendieta and Claudio López, he inherited from Cuper a team brimming with potential. Gaizka Mendieta Zabala (born 27 March, 1974 in Bilbao) is a Spanish football player of Basque origin Claudio Javier López (born July 17, 1974 in Río Tercero, Córdoba, Argentina) is an Argentine football Striker Santiago Cañizares, Roberto Ayala, Rubén Baraja, David Albelda and Pablo Aimar provided the backbone of an already formidable but underachieving side. José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz (born December 18, 1969 in Puertollano, Ciudad Real) is a former Spanish football Roberto Fabián "El Ratón" Ayala (born 14 April 1973 in Paraná Argentina) is an Argentine football player for the Rubén Baraja Vegas, Baraja (born July 11, 1975 in Valladolid, Castile) is a Spanish professional footballer David Albelda Aliqués, Albelda (born September 1, 1977 in La Pobla Llarga) is a Spanish football player currently Pablo César Aimar (born November 3,
Valencia CF fans were soon won over by Benítez as he introduced a more attacking style of play. He also made good use of both Mista and Curro Torres and Mista went on to become top goalscorer for Valencia CF with 19 goals in the 2003–04 season and Curro Torres became an established international. Miguel Ángel Ferrer Martínez, aka Mista (born November 12, 1978 in Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia) is a Spanish football Cristóbal Emilio Torres Ruiz, aka Curro Torres (born December 27, 1976 in Ahlen, West Germany) is a Spanish footballer In 2002,these tactics saw Benítez lead Valencia CF to their first La Liga title in thirty one years, winning it by a seven point margin over second placed Deportivo de La Coruña. The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña SAD (in English Royal Sports Club of La Coruna) is a Galician ( Spain) football club member of the
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 Inter Milan. Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club
2003–04 - La Liga/UEFA Cup double
The 2003–04 season was a different story. Valencia CF won La Liga with three games to go and beat Olympique de Marseille 2–0 in the UEFA Cup final. Olympique de Marseille (also known as l'OM or Marseille) is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football Despite this success, Benítez fell out with Jesus Garcia Pitarch, the club's director of sport, over control of new signings and the club's failure to reinforce the squad with the players he wanted. These differences of opinion saw Benítez resign as Valencia CF coach in June 2004. He famously said "I asked for a table and they bought me a lampshade" in reference to the players he wanted the club to sign.
Liverpool
2004–05 - Champions of Europe
Liverpool were quick to take advantage of the disharmony at Valencia CF and Benítez was appointed manager of the English Premiership club on June 16, 2004, replacing Gérard Houllier. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Gérard Houllier OBE, (ʒeʁaʁ ulje born 3 September, 1947, in Thérouanne, Pas-de-Calais, France) is a Arriving at Liverpool, he found himself in a very similar position to the one he had found at Valencia CF. The club had a talented but underperforming squad that included, among others, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Dietmar Hamann, Harry Kewell, Steve Finnan and Sami Hyypiä. Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979 in Chester, Cheshire) is an English football player who currently plays for and captains Newcastle United Steven George Gerrard MBE (ˈdʒɛrɑd born 30 May 1980 Whiston Merseyside) is an English football player James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher (born 28 January 1978 in Bootle, Merseyside) is a central defender/right-back playing his club football at Liverpool Dietmar "Didi" Hamann (born August 27, 1973 in Waldsassen, Bavaria) is a German Midfielder who currently plays Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978 in Sydney, New South Wales) is a professional footballer who plays for Galatasaray. Stephen John Finnan (born 24 April 1976 is an Irish international football player who currently plays for Espanyol at right back. Sami Tuomas Hyypiä (born 7 October 1973 in Porvoo) is a Finnish footballer who currently plays for Liverpool F
Benítez had barely arrived at Liverpool when Michael Owen was sold to Real Madrid. He subsequently signed several players from La Liga, most notably Luis García and Xabi Alonso. The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or Luis Javier García Sanz (born June 24 1978 in Badalona, Spain) commonly known as Luis García, is a Spanish Xabier Alonso Olano, commonly known as During his first season Benítez failed to improve the club's form in the Premiership. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Key players such as Steven Gerrard, Milan Baroš, Djibril Cissé, Xabi Alonso and Dietmar Hamann missed much of the season through injury and Liverpool failed to challenge Chelsea and Arsenal for the league title. Steven George Gerrard MBE (ˈdʒɛrɑd born 30 May 1980 Whiston Merseyside) is an English football player Milan Baroš (born 28 October, 1981 in Valašské Meziříčí, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic) is a Czech international Djibril Cissé (born 12 August 1981, in Arles, France) is a French international football player of Ivorian Xabier Alonso Olano, commonly known as Dietmar "Didi" Hamann (born August 27, 1973 in Waldsassen, Bavaria) is a German Midfielder who currently plays They eventually finished fifth. However, they did reach the Carling Cup final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium but Liverpool lost 3–2 after extra time. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff.
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 Grazer AK in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages before an 87th minute goal by Gerrard defeated Olympiakos 3–1 and saw the club progress to the last sixteen. Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub (in Austria the abbreviation GAK is more common but they are also known as the "Athletiker" Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 3–1 home and away followed by Juventus who were beaten 2–1 on aggregate. Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
In the semi-final Liverpool faced Chelsea, runaway leaders in the Premiership and favourites to win after overcoming the highly rated FC Barcelona in a previous round. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan Chelsea had already beaten Liverpool in the League Cup final and twice in the Premiership. The 2005 Carling Cup Final was played between Chelsea and Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 27 February 2005 The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs After a goalless leg at Stamford Bridge, an early goal from Luis García saw Liverpool win 1–0 on aggregate and reach the final against AC Milan. Luis Javier García Sanz (born June 24 1978 in Badalona, Spain) commonly known as Luis García, is a Spanish Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to by the abbreviation Milan, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy 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 under 6 minutes) and eventually won on penalties with the assistance of Jerzy Dudek, giving Liverpool an historic fifth European Cup. Route to the final UEFA Champions League 2004-05 AC Milan AC Milan were drawn straight into the group stage of the competition Jerzy Dudek (ˈjɛʒɨ ˈdudɛk born March 23, 1973 in Rybnik, Poland) is a Polish football player who plays for
2005–06 - FA Cup winners
For the 2005–06 season Benítez further reinforced the Liverpool squad by signing Peter Crouch, Mohamed Sissoko, José "Pepe" Reina, Boudewijn Zenden and Daniel Agger, as well as former Liverpool player (and fan favourite) Robbie Fowler in the January transfer window. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Peter James Crouch (born 30 January 1981 is an English international football player Mohamed Lamine Sissoko Gillan (born 22 January 1985 in Mont-Saint-Aignan, France)is a French born Malian footballer who is José Manuel Reina Páez (born 31 August 1982 in Madrid) commonly known as Pepe Reina (his preferred nickname or José Reina, is Boudewijn "Bolo" Zenden ( (born August 15, 1976 in Maastricht) is a Dutch footballer who plays most often as a Midfielder Daniel Munthe Agger.(born 12 December 1984 in Hvidovre) is a Danish professional footballer who currently plays as a central Robert Bernard 'Robbie' Fowler, (born 9 April 1975 in Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is an English footballer
It is notable that Dudek's heroics in the Champions league final were not enough for him to stay as first choice keeper, as Reina replaced him in goal right away. Jerzy Dudek (ˈjɛʒɨ ˈdudɛk born March 23, 1973 in Rybnik, Poland) is a Polish football player who plays for Route to the final UEFA Champions League 2004-05 AC Milan AC Milan were drawn straight into the group stage of the competition José Manuel Reina Páez (born 31 August 1982 in Madrid) commonly known as Pepe Reina (his preferred nickname or José Reina, is Benitez also quickly discarded unlikely heroes Vladimír Šmicer and Igor Biscan, who played key roles in the European success but seemingly did not figure in Benítez' long-term plans. Vladimír Šmicer (born May 24 1973 in Děčín) is a Czech Football (soccer Midfielder and forward, who Igor Bišćan (born May 4, 1978 in Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia) is a Croatian football player currently playing for Benitez also quickly sold two of his first signings in English football, Josemi and Antonio Núñez after they failed to establish themselves. José Miguel González Rey, commonly known as Josemi (born November 15, 1979 in Torremolinos, Málaga) is a Spanish Antonio Núñez Tena (born 15 January 1979) is a Spanish football player who plays as a right winger. This is an example of what some may see as Benítez' ruthlessness.
The improvements saw the club's Premiership form improve considerably. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Liverpool finished third in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and only narrowly missed out on second place by 1 point. Liverpool also won the FA Cup beating both Manchester United and Chelsea on the way to the final against West Ham Utd. The 2006 FA Cup Final was the final and deciding match of the FA Cup 2005-06. } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played 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. Steven George Gerrard MBE (ˈdʒɛrɑd born 30 May 1980 Whiston Merseyside) is an English football player This time Pepe Reina saved three penalties during the shoot-out to secure the silverware. José Manuel Reina Páez (born 31 August 1982 in Madrid) commonly known as Pepe Reina (his preferred nickname or José Reina, is
In winning the FA Cup 'Rafa' 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.
2006–07 - Another European Cup Final
Benitez's Liverpool claimed the first domestic honours of the 2006–07 season with a 2–1 victory over Chelsea in the Community Shield, despite fielding a weakened side with Gerrard and Alonso on the substitutes bench. The English Press were predicting Liverpool would challenge Chelsea for the Premiership crown after Benitez addressed Liverpool's perceived weaknesses in the transfer window by signing striker Craig Bellamy as well as wingers Jermaine Pennant and Mark Gonzalez. Craig Douglas Bellamy (born July 13 1979 in Rumney, Cardiff) is a Welsh international footballer He plays for West Jermaine Lloyd Pennant (born 15 January 1983 in Nottingham) is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool. Mark Dennis González Hoffman (born July 10 1984 in Durban, South Africa) commonly known as Mark González, is a Chilean footballer
Although Liverpool had qualified for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League with two games to spare (a new record for the club), and then going on to win the group with one game still left, Benitez's future at the Liverpool was called into question after poor away results in the league: his agent was quoted as saying he would consider offers to manage in Italy[4]. Benitez swiftly issued a statement through the club's website re-affirming his desire to remain with Liverpool for the long term[5].
Although the team's league results improved, their defence of the FA Cup lasted just one game as they were knocked out by Arsenal at Anfield; and four days later they were knocked out of the League Cup, also by Arsenal losing 6–3 at Anfield, Liverpool's heaviest home defeat since 1913. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after However this was soon forgotten when Liverpool beat Chelsea 2–0 at Anfield, Benitez's first league victory over Jose Mourinho's side. Anfield is an all-seater Association football Stadium in the district of Anfield, in Liverpool, England At the end of the league campaign, Liverpool were on 68 points, beating Arsenal to third place on goal difference but their poor away form had prevented the title challenge many were expecting - they did not win away in the League until December.
Liverpool's 2006–07 Champions League campaign proved successful. Liverpool finished top of Group C in the group stages after beating Maccabi Haifa in the 3rd qualifying round. Maccabi Haifa Football Club (מועדון הכדורגל מכבי חיפה Moadon HaKaduregel Maccabi Haifa) is an Israeli football club and one of the leading football They were then drawn against defending champions FC Barcelona in the first round of the knockout stages. Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan Benitez' side did not have ideal preparations with a reported altercation between Liverpool players Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise [6] days before the winning the first leg 2-1 at Camp Nou. Craig Douglas Bellamy (born July 13 1979 in Rumney, Cardiff) is a Welsh international footballer He plays for West John Arne Semundseth Riise (born 24 September 1980 in Ålesund) is a Norwegian football player for Roma. The Camp Nou (kam ˈnɔw Catalan for "new field" often erroneously called the Nou Camp in both Spanish and English) is a football This was seen as a major test of Benitez' man-management at the time and he subsequently fined both players[7]. Remarkably, Riise and Bellamy combined to score the second goal of a 2–1 victory in the first leg and Liverpool held Barca to just one goal in a 0–1 loss in the return at Anfield, thus progressing on the away goals rule. Anfield is an all-seater Association football Stadium in the district of Anfield, in Liverpool, England The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in Association football and other sports when teams play each other twice once at each In preparation for the second game, Barca's Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard described Liverpool's style of play: "The style Liverpool have - quite physical and tactically disciplined - once you have seen a couple of their games you know how they play. Franklin Edmundo "Frank" Rijkaard (born September 30 1962 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football manager and former player "[8]
In the quarter-finals, Liverpool achieved a 3–0 first leg lead over PSV Eindhoven, before sealing their place in the semi-finals with a 1–0 win at Anfield with Benitez resting several key players including Gerrard. Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from Anfield is an all-seater Association football Stadium in the district of Anfield, in Liverpool, England
In the first match of the semi-final against Chelsea, Liverpool lost 1–0 at Chelsea, but won the return leg 1–0, and then ultimately winning 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out after extra time. After the game, Liverpool's new co-owner George Gillett said: "Rafa has been tremendous . George N Gillett Jr (born October 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin) is an American Businessman, owner of the ice hockey . . 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. "[9] During the penalty shoot out, Rafa was noted for sitting down cross-legged in his technical area. He later explained that it was because fans were complaining that they couldn't see.
Liverpool contended with AC Milan for their sixth European Cup in Athens, Greece on May 23, 2007, in a repeat of the 2005 final but lost 2–1, after two goals by Filippo Inzaghi. Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to by the abbreviation Milan, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Dirk Kuyt's late consolation goal from a header off Jermaine Pennant's corner was in vain, as Milan held on to win the game. Following the defeat Benitez insisted his club's new owners had to back him in the transfer market in order for Liverpool to progress. [10] It was reported Benitez 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. [11]
During the season, Benitez continued to develop the youth team, bringing in players such as Emiliano Insua, Sebastián Leto and Jordy Brouwer. Emiliano "Emilio" Adrian Insúa Zapata (born 7 January 1989) is an Argentine Footballer who plays in the Left-back Sebastián Eduardo Leto (born 30 August 1986 The scouting programme had already successfully captured the likes of Daniel Agger, Mark González, Gabriel Paletta, Fábio Aurélio, Scott Carson, Miquel Roque, Godwin Antwi, Astrit Ajdarevic, Paul Anderson and Nabil El Zhar. Daniel Munthe Agger.(born 12 December 1984 in Hvidovre) is a Danish professional footballer who currently plays as a central Mark Dennis González Hoffman (born July 10 1984 in Durban, South Africa) commonly known as Mark González, is a Chilean footballer Gabriel Alejandro Paletta (born February 15 1986 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine Central defender, who currently plays for Boca Fábio Aurélio Rodrigues, often shortened to Fábio Aurélio, (born 24 September 1979 in São Carlos) is a Brazilian football player Scott Paul Carson (born 3 September 1985 in Whitehaven, Cumbria) is an English professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Miquel "Miki" Roque Farrero (born 8 July 1988 in Tremp, Lleida, Spain) is a Spanish footballer who plays as Godwin Antwi Birago (born 7 June 1988) is Ghanaian Spanish professional footballer who plays for Liverpool. Astrit Ajdarevic (born 17 April 1990 in Yugoslavia) is a Albanian Swedish professional football player currently playing as a midfielder Paul Anderson (born July 23, 1988 in Leicester) is a footballer currently playing with Nottingham Forest on loan from Liverpool. Nabil El Zhar (born 27 August 1986 in Alès, France) is a French - Moroccan football player currently playing
2007–08 - Cash flow and crisis
Liverpool's new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett provided Benítez with additional transfer funds for the new season to attempt to bridge the gap to Premiership rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, but in fact Hicks and Gillett just used money the club generated itself through additional television revenues and the prize money from getting to the Champions League final, without dipping into their own pockets. Thomas O Hicks Sr (born 1946 in Dallas Texas but later moved to Port Arthur Texas) is a Dallas Businessman According to Forbes Magazine George N Gillett Jr (born October 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin) is an American Businessman, owner of the ice hockey Benítez broke Liverpool's transfer record when signing Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid as well as signing young Dutch forward Ryan Babel, West Ham attacking midfielder Yossi Benayoun, Brazilian player of the year Lucas Leiva and Andriy Voronin on Bosman. Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984 in Madrid, Spain nicknamed El Niño ("The Kid" is a Spanish footballer, who plays for Liverpool Club Atlético de Madrid is a Spanish football club based in Madrid who play in the Primera División of La Liga. Ryan Miguel Guno Babel (born 19 December 1986 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for Liverpool Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun ( יוסי בניון, sometimes spelled Benayun, born יוסי שי בניון on 5 May 1980 Lucas Pezzini Leiva (born 9 January 1987 in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul) is a Brazilian Central Midfielder who currently plays Andriy Viktorovych Voronin ( Андрій Вікторович Воронін, born 21 July 1979 in Odessa) is a Ukrainian footballer The Bosman ruling (Union Royal Belges des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL & others v During the pre-season he also invested in a number of young foreign players such as Bulgarian under-21 goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov, Australian Dean Bouzanis Hungarian starlets Krisztian Nemeth, Andras Simon, Peter Gulacsi and poached young superstars Dani Pacheco and Gerardo Bruna from Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. Nikolay Mihaylov (Николай Михайлов sometimes anglicised as Nikolay Mikhailov) (born 28 June 1988 in Sofia) is a Bulgarian Dean Bouzanis (born October 2, 1990, in Sydney, Australia) is a Australian football goalkeeper with Greek heritage Krisztián Németh (born January 5, 1989 András Simon (born March 30, 1990 in Salgótarján, Hungary) is a Hungarian footballer who plays for Liverpool F Charles Itandje was signed as cover for Pepe Reina after Scott Carson was reluctantly loaned to Aston Villa for the season. Charles-Hubert Itandje (born 2 November 1982 in Bobigny) is a French football Goalkeeper currently playing for Liverpool
Benítez released several players in the summer, including fan-favourites Robbie Fowler, Luis García and Jerzy Dudek as well as Djibril Cissé and Craig Bellamy. Robert Bernard 'Robbie' Fowler, (born 9 April 1975 in Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is an English footballer Luis Javier García Sanz (born June 24 1978 in Badalona, Spain) commonly known as Luis García, is a Spanish Jerzy Dudek (ˈjɛʒɨ ˈdudɛk born March 23, 1973 in Rybnik, Poland) is a Polish football player who plays for Djibril Cissé (born 12 August 1981, in Arles, France) is a French international football player of Ivorian Craig Douglas Bellamy (born July 13 1979 in Rumney, Cardiff) is a Welsh international footballer He plays for West Benitez also tried to sign left-back Gabriel Heinze from Manchester United, however on August 21, 2007 an FA panel ruled that Manchester United were under no obligation to sell Heinze to a rival club[12]. Gabriel Iván Heinze (born 19 April 1978 in Crespo, Entre Ríos Province) is an Argentine footballer of Volga Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
Liverpool made a good start to the new league season and remained unbeaten at the end of November, having topped the Premier League table for the first time under Benitez after a comprehensive 6–0 win over Derby County. Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby England. 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 and it was suggested that Benitez's position was now under serious threat. The resulting coverage resulted in an overwhelming show of support by fans in support of Benitez which culminated in a fans' march in support of Benitez ahead of the critical Champions League home tie with Porto, which they won 4–1. [13] It has since emerged that at the time Jürgen Klinsmann was offered the Liverpool job before accepting the post of Bayern Munich manager and numerous sources have linked Benitez to Real Madrid. Jürgen Klinsmann (born July 30, 1964 in Göppingen) is a German football manager and former football player who played for several [14]
Honours
Liverpool FC
- UEFA Champions League
- European Super Cup
- Winners 2005 1
- FA Cup
- Winners 2006 1
- FA Community Shield
- Winners 2006 1
- Carling Cup
- Runners Up 2005 1
- FIFA Club World Championship
- Runners Up 2005 1
Valencia CF
- Spanish Champions: 2
- 2001-02, 2003-04
- UEFA Cup: 1
- 2003-04
CD Tenerife
- Segunda División
- Third and promotion 2000-01
CF Extremadura
- Segunda División
- Runners-Up 1997-98
Real Madrid U-19s
- Spain U-19 League: 2
- 1993
- Spain U-19 Cup: 2
- 1991, 1993
See also
References
- ^ Rafa Benítez: Paco Lloret (2005)
- ^ Rafa Benítez: Paco Lloret (2005)
- ^ Rafa Benítez: Paco Lloret (2005)
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | Liverpool dismiss Benitez report
- ^ liverpoolfc.tv: RAFA: MY AGENT WAS MISQUOTED
- ^ Bellamy faces uncertain future as Liverpool reel from golf club attack", The Guardian, 19 February 2007. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The FIFA Club World Cup, formerly known as the FIFA Club World Championship, is a football competition contested between the champion clubs from all six continental The 2005 FIFA Club World Championship was a football tournament held in Japan between 11 December and 18 December 2005 and won by The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or The Segunda División (Second Division is the lower tier of the two professional leagues in Spain consisting of 22 teams The Segunda División (Second Division is the lower tier of the two professional leagues in Spain consisting of 22 teams The División de Honor Juvenil is the top level of the Spanish football league system for youth players 18 years old and under Copa del Rey Juvenil de Fútbol is a youth Football tournament in Spain which is disputed between sixteen teams from the División de Honor Juvenil The seven winners and runners-up This is a list of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning football managers. This is a list of UEFA Cup winning football managers. English manager Bill Nicholson led Tottenham Hotspur to victory in the inaugural final Retrieved 22 February 2007.
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=436992&in_page_id=1771 Bellamy fined £80,000 and facing axe over Riise bust-up]", The Daily Mail, 19 February 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2007.
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | Benitez lauds Liverpool's display
- ^ Gillett Blown Away By Rafa Brilliance
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | We must spend big, says Benitez
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/6696155.stm
- ^ BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Man Utd | Heinze loses bid for Anfield move
- ^ Rafael Benítez calls temporary truce as fans plan show of solidarity | Liverpool - Times Online
- ^ ESPNsoccernet - England - Jolly: The long goodbye for Rafa?
External links
Biographies
- Liverpool FC Official Website profile
- Rafalution - Rafa Benítez fansite
- Manager profile at LFChistory.net
- Manager profile at This Is Anfield
Statistics
- Rafael Benítez management career stats at Soccerbase
- La Liga manager stats at www.lfp.es
- Segunda División manager stats at www.lfp.es
Valencia CF
Awards
Preceded by José Mourinho |
UEFA Champions League Winning Coach 2004-05 |
Succeeded by Frank Rijkaard |
| Preceded by José Mourinho |
UEFA Cup Winning Coach 2003-04 |
Succeeded by Valery Gazzaev |
Preceded by Arsène Wenger |
FA Cup Winning Coach 2006 |
Succeeded by José Mourinho |
Preceded by Héctor Cúper |
Valencia CF Head Coach 2001-2004 |
Succeeded by Claudio Ranieri |
| Preceded by Gérard Houllier |
Liverpool F.C. Manager 2004–Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Maudes, Rafael Benítez |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Benítez, Rafael |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | footballer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1960-4-16 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Madrid, Spain |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic