[84], On 27 February 2013, following a 20 win at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth-round, Bentez heavily criticised the Chelsea board for giving him the title of "interim manager" and the Chelsea fans for their protests against him. He was doing his job, I get that, but it was hard. I didnt know what to do, I didnt want to leave! I am still very upset. What are your plans for next season? he said. Rafael Benitez predicted, in this very space, on Tuesday morning, precisely where the risk lay when it came to Liverpool v Real Madrid. I have no problem talking to people. But with Rafa, it was constant directions. Classy timing'.". Kimberly Goldson is getting some long overdue attention from fashion magazines for bold looks that she showed at NYFW. 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! Thank you for your three years of service, now you can call your agent to do a deal with another club.' However, as the labour dragged on, the Reds boss had a decision to make as he went ahead without the midfielder and ultimately snubbed Alonsos offer to fly out on the day of the game. increasingly disappointed. Benitez tried to break me like he broke Riera. Key players missed much of the season through injury and Liverpool failed to challenge Chelsea and Arsenal for the league title, finishing fifth. ago. "No-one's shown me any respect and Rafael Bentez, since his arrival, has treated me as if I was the dumbest of the dumb. He told me I was a better player as a substitute instead of starting in the team. There was an issue over whether it was a loan move first or a permanent transfer straight away. [81] Chelsea progressed to the League Cup semi-finals with a 51 win over Leeds United at Elland Road and then recorded an 80 win over Aston Villa, equalling their record top-flight victory. I dont think I ever really played more than three games in a row. Bentez stands by his tactic, pointing out that teams who man-mark concede just as many, if not more, goals from set pieces. Liverpool paid 20m when signing Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2009. However, Club Director Javier Subirats recognised the potential of Bentez and campaigned for his appointment. From the latest transfers and match reports to training ground gossip and the running of the game, bridgeviews.co.uk offers a different perspective. And while there werent particularly any cross words with his manager, he did make a reluctant exit at the end of that season after being told his services were no longer required. 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. I couldn't say at the time, but I knew this was my last season at Liverpool and I wanted a special end. "Right now the only market open is the Russian one, I have offers from two teams and, looking at my situation, that has made me reflect a lot.". Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo scored the goals in the first half to hand Liverpool a much-needed victory. Liverpools hero in Istanbul for the 2005 Champions League final, Jerzy Dudeks reward was to be relegated to the clubs back-up goalkeeper just months later following the arrival of Pepe Reina. ", 'Pubs need to adapt' if they are going to survive the times ahead, "Although we are living during a cost-of-living crisis people still do have money. Rafa Benitez has given his verdict on Liverpool's chances of finishing in the Premier League's top four. In January 2008, Riise would score an own goal against Luton Town in the FA Cup after failing to defend a cross coming in from the right. 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, which played out in the media at the end of November. ", "Sammy Lee back as Liverpool assistant coach", "Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and chief exec Rick Parry call a truce", "Never Walk Alone? 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. 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. Liverpool fans were seen singing his name during the side's. Three months later he would do the exact same against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, gifting the Londoners what would prove to be a decisive 90th minute away goal. Connect with Liverpool fans from around the world in our official supporters group. The Reds moved to six points adrift of fourth place after a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United. What if Pepe gets injured next week? At first, I thought maybe he was going actually coming to justify his decision to leave me out. [64], On 21 November 2012, following the dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea appointed Bentez as interim first-team manager until the end of the 201213 season. He was different class, the amount of goals and assists that he got. GALLERY: Rafa Benitez's Liverpool years in pictures View gallery In 2013 he headed to Mexico to take over at Estudiantes Tecos and then last August he landed the job at Maccabi Tel Aviv in. Like Bellamy, it is perhaps no surprise that Jermaine Pennant was a player not best suited to playing for a manager like Benitez, given his reputation and the disciplinary issues that dogged his career. [92] Benitez didn't take part in the lap of honour after the match, but many fans showed their appreciation for his efforts during the season, a notable contrast to the hostile reception he received before. [10], However, the following 200203 season was a disappointing one; the club failed to follow up on their title success, finishing 18 points behind champions Real Madrid, and missed out on the top four by a single point. [76][77] On 5 December 2012, Bentez recorded his first win as Chelsea manager, a 61 victory at home to Nordsjlland in the Champions League. [87] Chelsea reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing 21 to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, and also progressed to the final of the UEFA Europa League. This is a player who had spent time in prison and played in the Premier League wearing an electronic tag after all. The no-nonsense former Liverpool boss might have been criticised by former players for not being the warmest of man-managers, but in the past he has tended to get results. Looking back, I do appreciate honesty from managers. Everton won four of their first six league games under Benitez, taking 13 points from a possible 18, but their form has collapsed since October. Bentez speaking in 2020 on winning the 2005 Champions League Final. [145], Bentez's father, Francisco, worked as a hotelier. But the media was not interested anymore. Having just witnessed arguably the most stunning comeback in the competition's history, when Rafa Benitez's unfancied side had fought back from 3-0 down to a world-class AC Milan outfit to win on . [31] It later emerged that Jrgen Klinsmann had been offered Bentez's job before eventually accepting the post of Bayern Munich manager. [131] In his 2013 autobiography, Ferguson said that "Benitez bought badly and made the feud personal". . [132] In a match in April 2009 when Allardyce was manager of Blackburn, he accused Bentez of arrogance over a gesture he made when Fernando Torres scored Liverpool's second goal. You didnt mean it., I cannot let you go on loan. 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. That's when Chelsea made an offer and the deal was done before Benitez left. The more we have seen of him the more impressed we have become. Just tell me. 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. Leaving for Celtic in January, he was not happy with how Benitez had treated him at all. Trump was so enraged at mockery by late night host Jimmy Kimmel he tried to get him censored, report says If I leave the Reds, I would like to play in a team which would be at least at the same level as Liverpool in regard to playing in European competitions. Making 52 appearances in 2006/07, that dropped to 25 in 2007/08 while he was frozen out in 2008/09 altogether, featuring just four times and making only two Premier League starts before being sent on loan to Portsmouth. Murphy would sign for Charlton Atheltic in a 2.5m deal in August 2004. LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United monitoring Lewandowski's future. If they come back today to buy you, they need to double their offer as this is the last day of the transfer window.. "If I'm doing something badly and you are my boss, and you value me, then you are going to come and tell me what I have to do to play again. "[27] Bentez did not reciprocate his owner's kind words, demanding his club's new owners had to back him in the transfer market in order for Liverpool to progress following his side's 21 loss to Milan in the final. I don't want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool, but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso. He also won the FA Cup in 2006 and reached the 2007 Champions League Final, but was unable to win the Premier League, with Liverpool's best league performance under Bentez a second-place finish in 200809. Jurgen Klopp's respect for Rafa Benitez spotted during Liverpool's thrashing of Everton LIVERPOOL beat city rivals Everton 4-1 at Goodison Park on Wednesday night. Claiming Liverpool were sinking ship under Benitez in March 2010, he said: "I've been here two years and I know how he (Benitez) is. In February 2007, he was caught up in a drunken fight with team-mate John Arne Riise. The former Reds captain says in his new autobiography that tactically the Spaniard was . [139] Bentez often plays key players in unorthodox positions to suit a formation notably converting both Steven Gerrard (in the 200506 season) and Dirk Kuyt into right-wingers. [32] Bentez, however, said that his future was at Liverpool and signalled his long-term intentions by appointing Sammy Lee as his new assistant[33] to replace his long-time right-hand man, Pako Ayestarn, who quit after a reported disagreement, which Bentez admitted "hurt" him and arguably Liverpool's titles hopes. He also enrolled as a student at INEF, the sports faculty at the Universidad Politcnica de Madrid and in 1982 he obtained a degree in physical education. Geplaatst op 3 juli 2022 door And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn't understand why. I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. They stopped me from being free. Ryan Babel was just 20 when he joined Liverpool from Ajax in an 11.5m deal in the summer of 2007. On 4 January 2016, Bentez's contract was terminated following allegations of unpopularity with supporters, displeasure with players and a failure to get good results against top sides. 4y Dave Usher. If you want to stay, theres not much point, I know you like playing and youre better off going. Not quite fitting into the Reds favoured system, failing to forge a successful partnership with Fernando Torres and not being suited to lead the line when the Spaniard was injured all contributed to his premature departure. He would later rue how Mauricio Pellegrino was brought in as his replacement. I meet him from time to time like at Pepe Reinas wedding, or some family parties.. "I was furious with him, absolutely fuming, and in my head I could hear a devilish voice saying punch him in the face punch him in the face and hell let you go to Germany. But dont tell me you need pace. In the red corner, Achraf Hakimi is a fight away from one of the greatest underdog stories of all time. Benitez came to Liverpool from the Spanish side Valencia on 16 June 2004 after the sacking of Gerard Houllier. Besides, people are treating me as if I don't exist any more. [105] At the time of his dismissal, Real were third in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atltico Madrid and two points behind arch-rivals Barcelona, the latter of whom had a game in hand. Further injury problems saw him miss almost the entire 198586 season and he subsequently retired as a player. [49] The club subsequently exited the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Atltico Madrid. When Mourinho exited Chelsea in 2007, Bentez said, "You know my relationship with him, it is better that I do not say anything", declining to comment as Ferguson and Arsenal manager Arsne Wenger had. Former Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez is reportedly in the reckoing to take charge of Olympiacos. "I'm not going to leave simply for the sake of leaving. By Will Rooney. Liverpool actually failed to find a buyer for Riera before Benitez left the club in the summer of 2010, but he was sold by successor Roy Hodgson to Olympiacos that July in a 5m deal. 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. "All players want to play in such great matches and I had been playing regularly before the Carling Cup final. "He thinks he's in charge and everything else falls on deaf ears. [22], Dudek's heroics in the final were not enough for him to stay as first-choice keeper, as newly signed Pepe Reina replaced him in from the start of the 200506 season. When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game. [8], Bentez subsequently quit Extremadura and took a year off from football to study in England and Italy. I certainly had no complaints about that. Bentez left the club "by mutual consent" on 3 June 2010[50] with a reported 6million pay-off;[51] the media speculated that this was because the team had finished seventh in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League, and suffered poor results, including the defeat by Wigan Athletic. I agreed to join Chelsea before Roy Hodgson was appointed Liverpool's new manager. While at Real, Bentez also gained his coaching certificate in 1989 and in the summer of 1990 taught at a football camp at the University of California in Davis, California. "But if I am not playing I have no chance of going to the World Cup, so I am trying to solve the problem so I at least have a small chance.''. [117] However, in an interview with The Athletic in December 2020, Bentez stated he was left no choice but to leave the role due to disagreements with Ashley, describing him as "a businessman who I don't believe really cares about his team. On the face of it, Yossi Benayouns relationship with Benitez was a pretty standard one with the Israel international proving himself to be an important player for Liverpool. 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. Would he let me go? [100], Bentez announced that he would resign at the end of the 201415 season. I hated him at the time, but Ive lost that now. That's why we played better and won the title. I raised my voice. An infamous attack on Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the media led some pundits and opposition supporters to suggest Bentez was "cracking up" under the pressure of a title bid. I am delighted to play for Liverpool and if I was playing, I would love to stay, because it is a brilliant place to play football. [113], In May 2017, Newcastle won the 201617 EFL Championship and made an immediate return to the Premier League after one season in the Championship. We have since done another (better) post on Rafa Benitez's Liverpool. The next couple of days were a couple of the hardest days of my life. Bentez said, "My heart is with Liverpool, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal, I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying. His mother is Rosario Maudes. At one point, rumours of Bentez quitting or being dismissed became so great that bookmakers had to suspend betting on the subject. After defeating Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus with the aid of some bold team selections by Bentez, Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semi-final. Liverpool finished third in the league, missing out on second place by one point. He started to get up to go but I told him to wait for a second. [29], Bentez's spending was, eventually, significant, breaking Liverpool's transfer record when signing Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Atltico Madrid as well as signing Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Lucas Leiva and Andriy Voronin. At the start of the 198687 season, he was appointed coach of Castilla B. "Rafa is a top manager and he's proven that. On two occasions early last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed. [112] On 25 May 2016, it was confirmed that Bentez would remain as manager. An unused substitute in the Spaniards first two games against Grazer AK and Tottenham Hotspur, he rarely made a matchday squad appearance after. 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. [127], Bentez has had confrontations with both Jos Mourinho (Chelsea manager from 2004 to 2007) and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson during his time in English football. Hardly the sort of character you can see embracing the Spaniards totalitarian style. [38], Nevertheless, on 18 March 2009, shortly after registering a 40 victory over Real Madrid and 41 victory over Manchester United, Bentez signed a new five-year deal with the club. Yet, the Spaniard is not a monster. In the blue corner, Kylian Mbappe stands tall as the undisputed champion of the world. In terms of team instructions I think you nailed it. He tried to destroy my confidence. Footballers love seeing a bit of confrontation on the training ground! It was such a special, important moment that I took the decision that I needed to be there, Alonso explained. If your player didn't start or saw a red card, or you picked the wrong player, captain, or other, this is the place to share all your rants. Bentez, however, later explained this gesture: he said he had previously told Xabi Alonso to take a short free-kick. When Allardyce was manager of Newcastle, he suggested Bentez would have been dismissed had Liverpool's European form been as bad as their league form. You could benefit from new challenges and weve bought a new left-back that we intend to rely on Liverpool had purchased Andrea Dossena from Udinese for 7million, but that kind of thing had happened before. Benitez, 50, replaced Gerard Houllier as Liverpool manager in June 2004 and. Then he told him who were coming in for me Tottenham, Charlton and Everton. 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. Some things are more important than football and I had the full support of the club. The euphoria of lifting the European Cup 15 years ago today is a feeling Rafael Benitez will never forget. That was why, when Pako Ayestarn (his assistant) went, they had a parting of the ways and things started to go downhill a bit.". He said: I dont want to see this'. In 2002, these tactics saw Bentez lead Valencia to their first La Liga title in 31 years, winning it by a seven-point margin over second-placed Deportivo La Corua. [37] This off-field turmoil was in contrast to Liverpool's impressive start to the 200809 season in the Premier League, including Bentez' first ever league win against Manchester United at Anfield on 13 September and ending Chelsea's 86 match unbeaten run in the league at Stamford Bridge. But perhaps because Benitez believes in an element of. [18], In the Champions League, however, Liverpool fared differently. The amount of time in training that wed do shape, tactics and nothing else! [79], At the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2012, Chelsea defeated Monterrey 31 to reach the final,[80] where they were beaten 10 by Brazilian side Corinthians. As a right winger/midfielder, Steven Gerrard had the most productive seasons trophy-wise, claiming a Champions League title, and an FA Cup. But with 47 of them coming from the substitutes' bench, and with the playmaker taken off on 53 of his 81 starts, behind the scenes he was not happy with his manager. 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". He was unable to avoid relegation, but earned promotion back to the Premier League the following year, winning the Championship. I learnt a lot. [97] Napoli finished third in Serie A in 201314 to qualify for the next season's Champions League. Before that I played at Tottenham, free-flowing football, different managers. 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 havent played all season. He also worked as a commentator/analyst for Eurosport, Marca, El Mundo and local Madrid TV. All I ever wanted to do is just to play football.". "Yet even now they are talking about signing another centre half.". Yet despite his exit, Riise does hold Benitez in the highest of regards.