The left-backs standards had arguably slipped in his final two seasons with Liverpool as he fought with Fabio Aurelio for a starting role with only the Brazilians injury record ensuring he didnt retain the position permanently. It was another short-lived appointment and on 4 January 2016, he was dismissed following a 22 draw against his former club, Valencia. I dont want to blame the coach for me not having the ultimate career at Liverpool but I felt it could have been closer in terms of guidance and support.". [97] Napoli finished third in Serie A in 201314 to qualify for the next season's Champions League. "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. Who are you going to buy with pace? Liverpool finished the calendar year top of the Premier League for the first time since 1996. You already know the story, of course. 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. Report: Rafa Benitez "close" to taking over Everton - MLS on NBC 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 . Bentez stands by his tactic, pointing out that teams who man-mark concede just as many, if not more, goals from set pieces. [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. [52], On 10 June 2010, and only a few days after leaving Liverpool, Bentez agreed a deal to become the new head coach of Serie A and reigning Champions League title-holders Inter Milan, a post that was left vacant by the departure of Jos Mourinho, who left to manage Real Madrid. It was the club's 10th Premier League defeat of the season - and their ninth in their last 12 league matches - to leave . Benitez defence a stern test for Liverpool's attack. 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. He said, "I was hoping for a sofa [a defender] and they've brought me a lamp [Fabin Canobbio]," in reference to the positions he wanted to be strengthened. Liverpool paid 20m when signing Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2009. Another altercation between Bellamy and Benitez would take place in the Spaniards office after the Welshman was fined for taking a penalty against Birmingham City when Robbie Fowler had been the designated taker. [148][149], Rafael Bentez married Maria Montserrat[150][151][152] in 1998. [144], Bentez instigated a host of backroom changes at the end of the 200809 season to improve the club's youth development, including the appointment of club legend Kenny Dalglish in a senior role at the academy. Rafael Benitez's Istanbul memories - Liverpool FC "I think he was the wrong manager at the wrong time for me. [24][140], Bentez is a firm believer in squad rotation and zonal marking. 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. What is going on with my transfer?, I will be honest with you, I am not interested in loaning you. He was being honest and he said to me: Look, I want to bring in some of my own players, youre not going to be part of the XI and its unlikely youre going to get back in the team. Would he let me go? Liverpool were hit with budget restrictions in 2006, and then-reds boss Benitez was only given 10 million to spend on a right-midfielder. Olivia Shears and Katie Whyatt were highly commended in an historic one-two-three: it was the first time in the competition's history [] 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. 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. Bentez played as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados in the Tercera Divisin and Castilla CF in the Segunda Divisin. He left the club by mutual consent in January 2021 before taking over as manager at Everton in June. Malcolm Macdonald in a rare Newcastle United attack during the ill-fated FA Cup final against Liverpool on May 4, 1974 . In February 2007, he was caught up in a drunken fight with team-mate John Arne Riise. Well talk in a moment, Jerzy. No, lets talk now. There are also easier fixtures than playing away against Wolves (with a rotated side) and Brighton as well as facing Chelsea at Anfield, as Liverpool has had to do recently. It was a privilege for me to play for such a great club in front of great fans. I was sure he wanted me to attack him in the press during the season so he could turn the fans against me, so I kept quiet. He returned to Italy in 2013 to coach Napoli, where he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Liverpool fans were seen singing his name during the side's. After his success with the U19s, Bentez then succeeded Garca Remn at the start of the 199394 season. He did start the home leg defeat against Graz, reinstated next to Hyypia as he made his first appearance of the season in the process, but after that his final three appearances for the club all came with the kids and reserves in the League Cup. I hated him at the time, but Ive lost that now. He left the club, and coached Tenerife in 2000, winning promotion in his only season. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Poor, but better than them. I thought I would be staying for a lot longer.". I had great contracts on the table, and choices of managers who really wanted me and that made me feel good. It was up and down but at the same time I had a great experience there. Benitez was in charge at Anfield from 2004 to 2010, winning. Rafa Benitez names two 'important' Liverpool players Rafa Benitez at the Run for the 96 5K in Stanley Park, Liverpool (Image: Liverpool Echo) But being a born winner is just one part of Benitez's multi-layered appeal. . Loved the details Riise gave of the Bellamy fiasco; that when he showed up the day after (to basics fight Bellamy), Agger went with him and had his back. "I just thought, 'am I so bad that they want me to leave and they want him?'. I just tried to put the ball there and Ivanovic did the rest. [citation needed], In 200304 season, Valencia won La Liga with three games to spare and beat Marseille 20 in the UEFA Cup final. "When a player knows he is a slave, he'll never give his employer his heart.. I was with the national side, before the World Cup, he recalled to the Times. There's some speculation about what might have been said at half-time to spark a much better second half - collectively, and from certain individuals. Given Bellamys reputation, you can imagine these were not the only occasions when the duo failed to see eye to eye. 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. Craig Bellamy joined Liverpool from Blackburn Rovers in a 6m deal in June 2006. If pushed, you would have guessed the man responsible for scoring the Blues' first goal at home for nearly two months was David Datro Fofana, the Ivorian forward signed during January's trolley dash. Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia they won the Champions League that following season and he was justified.. However, an 87th-minute goal by Steven Gerrard defeated Olympiacos 31 and saw the club progress to the last 16 on head-to-head difference. [95], In his first season in charge, Bentez guided the club to victory in the Coppa Italia, defeating Fiorentina 31 in the final,[96] and into the last 16 of the Europa League, exiting after a 32 aggregate defeat to Porto. "I think I was right as well because I saw Pellegrino play for Liverpool and I thought, 'yes, I could have done the job he did for them, at the very least'. Liverpool have announced manager Rafael Benitez has left the club by mutual consent after six years in charge. In this episode we look back on the extraordinary 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday. West Ham board's five options to replace David Moyes after Brighton Liverpool won't get a penny. [18], In the Champions League, however, Liverpool fared differently. Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez leaves by mutual consent 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]. I still dont know his real reasons. The situation is said to be dire and Leach may have suffered seizures. It was funny. Rafa Benitez spent six years at Liverpool before a shorter stint as Everton manager (PA) Rafa Benitez has admitted that he has split loyalties ahead of the Merseyside derby, refusing to. He tried to destroy my confidence. 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,. "Liverpool remains the place where I have suffered the most as a footballer, above all during the last season. A stalwart under Gerard Houllier, Murphy never really had a falling out with the Spaniard as such. "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. However, the second leg was cancelled and Madrid were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player. 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. [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. Signed in an 8m from Espanyol in the summer of 2008, he featured regularly in his first season with the club as Liverpool fell narrowly short in the Premier League title-race. [128][129], On 9 January 2009, Bentez delivered a controversial appraisal of certain aspects of Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure, accusing Ferguson and Manchester United of being nervous because Liverpool were at the top of the league,[130] then accused the Manchester United manager of not being punished for breaking FA rules, suggesting he was "the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things",[130] referring to Ferguson not being punished following an FA charge for comments he made about officials Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett following an FA Cup tie with Portsmouth. But it was Liverpool Football Club. Being told youre no longer wanted at Liverpool by Rafa that was a tough one, he told TalkSPORT. He didnt know I spent my whole childhood dreaming of playing for Liverpool, he didnt know I had all those memories and feelings. - Heart stops when I see the draw for the semi finals of the league and we drew Cardiff. The next couple of days were a couple of the hardest days of my life. I learnt a lot. [36] Striker Keane was later re-sold back to Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window, with some analysts claiming he was a "pawn in a power struggle" between Bentez and the club's owners. Trump was so enraged at mockery by late night host Jimmy Kimmel he tried to get him censored, report says "I had to be with my partner. In 1997, he joined another Segunda Divisin side, Extremadura, and this time led them to promotion, finishing second in the table behind Alavs after winning 23 out of 42 games. Join our group for FREE by clicking here! Whether it was wrong or right to let him go or whether his time in charge of Liverpool could be considered a success or not . But to this day I still think I should have stayed. Rafa Benitez nearly signed Dani Alves for Liverpool Benitez, 50, replaced Gerard Houllier as Liverpool manager in June 2004 and. [115][116] Mike Ashley criticised Bentez following his departure, stating that Bentez's demands made it impossible for him to remain as manager. Writing in his autobiography, he described the Spaniard as the "most difficult" manager he played for, criticising him over his lack of man-management skills, claiming he only ever had one proper conversation with him. [citation needed], Bentez has also had confrontations with Sam Allardyce when he was manager of Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. The French hit-man was booked for pulling his shirt over . And he still lives in Liverpool. Half time: Liverpool 0-0 Wolves - redandwhitekop.com Arrested after drunkenly refusing to leave a bar on the same training camp that saw Bellamy assault Riise, he admitted in his autobiography that he once came close to hitting Benitez after the Spaniard blocked him from leaving the club for Koln despite his game-time being limited. I dont think people in England ever saw the best of me. As soon as training had finished I stormed over to him and ripped my gloves off in an aggressive manner. Before that I played at Tottenham, free-flowing football, different managers. Subscribe to the CV Academy. He was appointed manager of Real Valladolid for the 199596 season, but was dismissed after only two wins in 23 games with the club bottom of La Liga. "Just sometimes, he might as well have turned a player into an Xbox, dressed me up like RoboCop and put a picture of my face on it. The appointment is a controversial one, as Benitez spent six years at Anfield, winning the Champions League, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his spell. [93], On 27 May 2013, it was announced that Bentez had signed for Napoli, whose manager Walter Mazzarri had resigned. "I was disappointed - this much is true," Baros said in an interview with a newspaper in Prague. We discuss a first half that was below par, and the goals we conceded, as well as Bukayo Saka's brilliant equaliser. It's a dream for me such a fantastic club have given me this opportunity. Bentez also gave new life to existing Liverpool players, transforming Jamie Carragher from a utility player to one of Europe's top centre backs alongside Sami Hyypi. [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. He was unable to avoid relegation, but earned promotion back to the Premier League the following year, winning the Championship. I dont know how, but I managed to stop myself. Vales time at Liverpool with Rafa Benitez will help a lot as DOnald adapts his system of high pressing possession football, which is enjoyed by both men. It was just a case of his manager no longer wanting him in his squad, with the defender going on to sign for Roma in 4m deal. [69][70][71] He appointed Boudewijn Zenden as his new assistant manager at Chelsea on the same day. The club had previously approached Javier Irureta, Man and Luis Aragons and had been turned down by all three. Also added was England defender Glen Johnson for a 17.5million fee. Other semi final Wolves V Southampton. ". Rafael Bentez: 'When I see Ancelotti, we don't talk about Istanbul much' I say by myself on the plane back to England the next day. 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. His reign at the club was a short one and he was dismissed midway through the 201011 season. 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. What if Pepe gets injured next week? I don't want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool, but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso. The lads could see I was fuming so all hung around to see what would happen. YOU would have got good odds on someone called Fofana saving Graham Potter from more death threats. I spent six months with Liverpool hardly getting a game. Bentez argued he needed to rotate his small squad to ensure key players were fit for the latter stages of these knockout competitions. I have no problem talking to people. "I have still not swallowed it. Ill get 800,000, great, but I cant spend it today and Ill be five months without an experienced reserve goalkeeper. This instruction was ignored, which resulted in a goal. I repeat, if they come back in today they must pay double., I felt he was treating me unfairly, but thats how Rafa operated. Newcastle United at Wembley: 13 times the Magpies played at the Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp sent Real Madrid message by Rafa Benitez It was the same for me. In truth, he didnt have time to as Benitez made it clear early on that he had no future at the club. He did everything so coldly, almost inhumanely, because he saw things as business. Further injury problems saw him miss almost the entire 198586 season and he subsequently retired as a player. "[14], One of Bentez's first tasks at Liverpool was to convince club captain Steven Gerrard not to move to Chelsea. Surely I couldnt stay if I gave him a smack? The 50-year-old, who only took charge 18 months ago, finished 15 points c 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". infiniti qx80 indicator lights. I havent really thought about it, I said. Connect with Liverpool fans from around the world in our official supporters group. He told me he needed pace up front. But perhaps because Benitez believes in an element of. Mauricio Pochettino 'SACKED by PSG after agreeing to terminate contract Youre a big name, you can play anywhere at all. Take part in our Liverpool FC 'Keep or Sell' survey: While Murphy was moved on straight away, it was a different story for Stephane Henchoz. 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. The. Which Liverpool player do you wish Rafa Benitez had never sold? It was a bit frustrating not playing Inter, but I had to be with my family at the time, he said. [94] Bentez agreed a two-year contract after meeting club president Aurelio De Laurentiis in London. 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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.. "We were going into labour, and I told Rafa that I could not go. Then he told him who were coming in for me Tottenham, Charlton and Everton. The amount of time in training that wed do shape, tactics and nothing else! Then the consequences of doing so flashed through my mind. So (journalists) put some words in my mouth saying that the person who was responsible for me not being included in the Spain squad was Rafa. Thank you for your three years of service, now you can call your agent to do a deal with another club.' The club said they understood why I was unhappy and promised they'd let me leave in the summer if an offer came while Benitez was manager. This view was later supported by Sir Alex Ferguson. Peter Crouch has suggested that Rafael Benitez's prior association with Liverpool was, in part, behind his undoing as Everton manager.. Benitez, 61, was given his marching orders on Sunday, less than 24 hours after his side were beaten by relegation-threatened Norwich City. It was such a special, important moment that I took the decision that I needed to be there, Alonso explained. The Spaniard is expected to sign his. I was really upset. "But then as we went on he left me totally on my own and only judged me for the things I didnt do right instead of telling me how to solve or improve the things I had to improve. The manager ignored me when I wanted to know why. "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 was doing his job, I get that, but it was hard. "He thinks he's in charge and everything else falls on deaf ears. He's never sorted out a situation with a player by talking with him. Milan Baros finished Benitezs first season at Liverpool as the clubs top goalscorer.