Naked Sport

Soccer Rafa Beitez..This is your life.

From his hometown of Madrid to the fields of Anfield, the Champions League winning manager has been both adorned and criticized from fans, media and opposition alike. Benitez’s tactics and playing style have always come under heavy criticism especially during his time at Liverpool where his rotation policy and poor league form has always left the Kop faithful disgruntled and disillusioned with the Spaniard’s policies. But Benitez has delivered success in cup competitions winning the Champions League and FA in his Liverpool tenure. And finally after months of speculation, in March of this year Benitez put pen to paper to sign a new five-year contract ending rumours of a summer move to his hometown club, Real Madrid, and can now concentrate on his attempt to win Liverpool’s first ever Premier League title and contest for the Champions League crown in 2009.

Rafael Benítez Maudes was born on the 16th of April 1960 to Francisco Benitez and Rosario Maudes and older brother Francisco, a middle class family in Madrid. A sister, Rosario, would be added to the family several years later. From an early age Rafa showed signs of potential to become a promising footballer. He obtained his love for the sport from his parents, his mother a Real supporter while his father was an Atletico follower. At the age of twelve young Benitez joined Real Madrid cantera, the youth academy and progressed as a midfielder with the Aficionados, the second reserve team. His international career consisted of the World Student Games in 1979 playing for Spain Universities XI. Benitez’s playing career was made up of lower division teams before injury forced him to retire in 1986.
Benitez, though, had always shown a major interest in coaching, beginning his career at thirteen coaching a local underage soccer team. In 1982 he obtained a degree in Physical Education at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. When Benitez retired from his playing career at the age of 26 he returned to Real Madrid where he became the coach of the Castilla B team and continued with Youth B and Under-19s. Benitez won a total of 6 honours. Benitez then coached the B team in the second division before becoming assistant manager to the senior team and Vicante del Bosque in 1994. After another stint as B team boss, Benitez moved away from Real Madrid to take the reigns of Primera side Real Valladolid but was sacked after 23 games and was also sacked from Osasuna after 9 games. Benitez then achieved success with Extremadura, promoting the side to the Primera Davison in his first season but were relegated in the second season resulting in Benitez quitting his post. Benitez then took CD Tenerife to La Liga before leaving to manage Valencia in 2001. Benitez was the fourth choice for the appointment after the other candidates had rejected the position but Benitez began about building a side which would play an attacking flowing game. Valencia won their first La Liga in thirty-one years in Benitez’s first year in charge and retained the title in 2004, also winning the UEFA Cup over Marseilles. But Benitez fell out with the club’s Director of Sport, Jesus Garcia Pitarch, over the club’s failure to acquire the players he wanted. He famously said afterwards “I asked for a table and they bought me a lampshade”.
On the June 16 2004, Benitez was appointed as manager of Liverpool FC at a time when Chelsea had just become the big players in the Premiership with Roman Abrahmovich’s money. Jose Mourinho appointment overshadowed Benitez somewhat but this allowed the Spaniard to set about forming his opinion on his new players and tactics. Early after his signing, Benitez sold Michael Owen to Real Madrid, reportedly put off by the striker’s wage demands. Benitez was clearly putting down a marker of how he expected his players should be honoured to play for Liverpool and would not accept any pre-Madonnas in his team. Benitez immediately made signings from La Liga, Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia the most high profile. In Xabi Alonso Benitez had signing a cultured midfield player with the ability to dictate the match. But this signing forced Benitez to play captain and talisman, Steven Gerrard, on the right flank, much to the dismay of the fans and player himself. Gerrard would often pull into the middle of the field to pick up the ball and exert some influence on the game. Benitez also hanged changed his style of play since coming from Valancia. At the Mestalla, Benitez encouraged attacking flair and passing but at Anfield the Kop saw the long, hopeful balls being employed, though Liverpool had no real target man up front. Liverpool began to play the boring football of the top teams and were heavily criticized for this play, by both pundits and fans alike. Benitez also showed his rotation policy from the off. Poor and inconsistent selections led to poor and inconsistent performances in the league. Benitez selection policy was and continues to be his biggest criticism. Perhaps the supporters would have been more forgiving had the Reds been picking up results but Benitez’s men never kept pace with Chelsea, Man Utd or Arsenal all season and were pushed out of the top four by Merseyside rivals Everton for the final Champions League place. Liverpool’s injury didn’t help also with Gerrard, Cisse and Alonso missing much of the season. The team did reach the Carling Cup final only to be beaten by Chelsea. But from the off the public saw Benitez as a manager who valued Europe over domestic achievements. After a shaky group stages performance which saw them qualify only due to an 87th minute goal from Steven Gerrard against Olympiakos, Liverpool hit top gear after Christmas, knocking out Bayern Leverkusen and Juventus before a semi-final showdown with Chelsea. Chelsea, run away leaders in the Premiership, were hot favourites to progress but a Luis Garcia “phantom goal” set Mourinho’s boys packing. Mourinho still feels the decision of Garcia’s goal prevented him from retaining the Champions League. The match set Liverpool up with a final showdown with AC Milan in Istanbul. This is the site of Benitez’s greatest triumph as his side conquered the Italian giants in what is regarded as one of the greatest ever European Cup final. Trailing 3-0 at half-time Liverpool, through the inspirational Gerrard staged a remarkable comeback to level the game 3-3 and eventually win on penalties due to Jerzy Dudek’s heroics.
Liverpool fans were hoping that Benitez would be able to build on European success and make a go at winning the Premiership. Though their form did improve they never challenged Chelsea and finished 3rd. Benfica surprisingly knocked the holders out of Europe as Benitez came under renewed pressure with his teams play. Liverpool continued to be a cup team, winning the FA Cup against West Ham on penalties following another dramatic comeback.
Another flaw of Benitez was exposed the following season following the summer time purchases. Liverpool would never have the spending power of Chelsea or Manchester United but Benitez was criticized for his purchases in his time at Liverpool. Many of his purchases came and went for less than Benitez had originally paid for them. Players such as Kromkamp, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Fowler and Boudewijn Zendon to name but a few flops at Liverpool. 2006/07 season was the year Manchester United returned to Champions of England. It took until 2008/09 season for Benitez to record his first win over United in the league, a fact repeatedly brought up by his detractors. It was also during 2007 Liverpool was taken over by George Gillet and Tom Hicks. Benitez never trusted the new co-owners, believing that they wanted him out and refused to give him the money for new players for which he craved, the same situation which led him to leave Valencia and it was thought the same would happen. But the owners gave their backing to Benitez after the 2-1 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League final but rumours of discontents continue to linger to this day. The following season the owners gave Benitez the financial backing he longed for, signing Fernando Torres for a Liverpool record fee of about £20 million. Torres became an instant success, the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in ’96 to score 20 goals in a season, as Benitez finally began to keep his selections sane. Liverpool though faltered in the league around Winter as reports of a power struggle between Benitez and the board continued to rumble on, Liverpool ended the season trophyless once again.
Benitez once again came into conflict with the owners, the board refusing to pay for a transfer for Gareth Barry but Benitez did secure the signing of Robbie Keane. Originally looking like Benitez had got a man he wanted, Keane was given a tough time by Benitez, playing a full game only twice as the Irishman struggled to find his feet. Keane was sold back to Spurs six months later as Liverpool struggled to score goals with Torres injured. Benitez blamed for trying to rush his star striker back too quickly, resulting in the Spaniard getting injured again. But Benitez finally managed to mount a league challenge in the 2008/09 season, the side top of the table coming into the new year. But Benitez seemed to crack under the pressure as the usually mild-mannered coach responded angrily to Alex Ferguson’s claims that Liverpool wouldn’t be able to sustain the title challenge. Liverpool from that point went on a poor run of form surrendering the lead to United who looked to have the league all but wrapped up. But a masterful display from Benitez and the return to form of Torres saw Liverpool thrash United 4-1 at Old Trafford. Liverpool also thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield in the same fortnight to get their season back on track and Benitez put an end to speculation of his departure by signing a 5-year contract.
So Benitez has brought many great European nights to the Liverpool faithful, but his tactical, selection and transfer flaws has prevented the Madrid man becoming a genuine success at Liverpool but that could change by the end of this year if he can break the Chelsea, Man Utd stranglehold on the Premier League.