Simplest title I could think of. He is not going to be here for more than a year anyways. Here is where you can talk about this dude whom for the records I hate more than my cheating ex. So please, all you who actually do like him can talk about his managerial achievements, all 5 of you? From his website: http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/in/background/career/1/11/ Coaching Career. June 21st witnessed the unveiling of Rafa Benitez as head coach of SSC Napoli in the club sports facilities - Castell Neapolitan Volturno. The Madrid born coach appointed by club president Aurelio De Laurentiis was presented to a packed room of 250 journalists from around the world. The press conference was broadcast live and it's impact has been compared to the arrival of Diego Maradona decades ago. In his first season as head of Napoli , Rafa Benítez managed to lift the Coppa Italia - the fifth in the history of the Neapolitan club and the eleventh title in the personal honors of the Madrid born coach. The twelfth title was won after beating Juventus in the Italian Super Cup played in Qatar on 22nd December 2014. I joined Chelsea FC in November 2012 and worked hard with my team to instil the highest standards and challenge for honours. I am proud of the personal and professional achievement of managing the team to victory at the UEFA Europa League Final in Amsterdam on May 15th. I am also proud of successfully achieving our goal of securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League football group stages for Chelsea FC next year and for finishing in third place of the Premier League. Earlier, in the 2010-2011 season, Rafa Benitez had managed Inter Milan in winning the Italian Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup just six months after joining. He spent six seasons as manager of Liverpool FC, from the 2004-05 to 2009-10. Before that, he spent three seasons as coach of Valencia CF SAD in La Liga (First Division), from 2001-02 to 2003-04. CD Tenerife SAD Coach, Division 2, 2000-01 season. CF Extremadura SAD Coach, 2nd and 1st Division, 1997-98 and 1998-99. Club Atlético Osasuna Coach, Division 2, 1996-97. Real Valladolid SAD Coach, 1 st Division, 1995-96. Real Madrid B Coach, Division 2, 1993-94 and 1994-95 season, as well as Assistant First Team Coach Real Madrid CF, La Liga First Division (93-94). Real Madrid U-19 coach and Assistant Coach Real Madrid B, Division 2, 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Coach of Real Madrid Juvenil "A" and half the 1990-91 season as coach of Real Madrid U-19. Coach of Real Madrid Juvenil "B", 1989-90. Three seasons as coach of Castilla Youth "B" from 1986-87 to 1988-89.
Still not official but we all know it is going to happen. Welcome Rafa, I wish you the best and hope you can prove everyone wrong.
Welcome and good luck, Rafa! Now that he has finally gotten his chance at managing Madrid, I hope he makes the best of it and helps lead the club through a very successful period. Is that kind of negativity really needed to start this thread?
Normally I'd say its too early but the lack of discretion regarding his hiring is too much to pretend it won't be official. I mean AS interviewed him in Italy and he said he was excited and ready lol without even trying to be discreet. Welcome and good luck Rafa!
Rule is to wait for the official announcement. Also, please come up with a less whiny-bitch of a thread starter.
Meh. http://grantland.com/the-triangle/rafa-benitez-napoli-real-madrid-manager/?ex_cid=GrantlandFB I guess I'll just say that I hope he kicks a lot of ass before his ass gets kicked out.
I fully support Benitez. He might not be the best manager in the world at the moment, but he's someone who loves the club and has worked here before. He merely needs to put the players in their right positions and we'll win La Liga. We have a better team than Barca and that will only get better if we make this summer count (SQUAD DEPTH!). Good luck Rafa!
I agree. It is truly shocking that a club would fire an under-performing manager who has failed to win anything significant, lost a heap load of times to the local rivals, and has the worst head 2 head of all the big teams in the league over the past two seasons. Benitez might not be the answer; but neither was Ancelotti. He is not a league manager.
Fat waiter, interim manager, uncharismatic eternal loser. Worst Florentino decision since the Del Bosque/Makelele fiasco.
Nah! That was the correct decisions. He wanted unreasonable wages. The mistake came from in not acquiring a adequate replacement.
Since this is sadly definitely going to happen, I suggest a much better title for the thread such as: ' Let the Rafalution begin' 'Can you smell the success our fat Spanish waiter will be serving' ' Rafa, with your belly and goatee you will lead us to glory' .....
If that's the case, I wont be watching any games live this season. Will just stick to the "highlights" of the 1-2 goals (if at all ) we score per game after, don't feel like wasting 90 minutes watching his crappy style. At least Mou was entertaining as a charismatic troll. How the ******** does one go from failing at Napoli to coaching @ RM? I literally can't even... Hopefully he won't last the season and he takes with him the scrubby no name players he will certainly bring.
I don't think Rafa is either to be honest, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt to start, but I'm not a fan of what I have seen from him, let's see what he comes up with
Eduardo Inda: "Benítez has told Florentino that he wants to play Cristiano as a striker & Bale on the left." Eduardo Inda: "Perez will give Benítez full freedom to make decisions he feels are best for the team."
I think the club has decided that it is more probable to succeed with a home grown coach. On the other hand Rafa has the best team he has ever had to do his work. He won't lose this opportunity easily. I hope we will succeed with him. Good luck Rafa.
Bale on the left and Ronaldo at striker means that Benzema will likely be benched. That's an interesting move and i'm gonna pass judgement about that until i watch them play. Personally i'm excited about a change up in formation. Going by the 4-2-3-1 formation unless we buy another midfielder i'm seeing Kroos and Modric being paired up in the midfield. That means James and Isco will occupy the CAM and RW/RAM position respectively. James will be able to play behind the striker which will unquestionably bring the best out of him. Ronaldo will most likely play the target man. I'm hoping Bale can be back to his best playing on the left. Most of us would agree Ronaldo has pretty much being playing as a striker throughout the season. So to me this formation seems like everyone is in their more natural positions, which is a good sign so far. Isco and James are both natural CAMs so they can interchange positions throughout the match because James has/does play RW.