Rafa Benitez: The Manager - Part 1

The previous article in this series told of how Rafa Benitez’s career as a footballer was hampered, and effectively ended by problems with injuries. However, even during his playing days he had always shown a penchant for management and eventually, it was to be the making of him.

Benitez’s love affair with management began when he was just 13 years of age. He began coaching a kids football team and obviously got the bug then and there. He always seemed to have one eye on the academic side of the game, gaining a degree in Physical Education in 1982 which he would later put this into use as a top European coach.

There is so much to know about Rafa Benitez as a manager, so to save you the danger of overdose I have split this article into a number of segments. Think of it as a mini series within the series! Part 1 of Rafa Benitez: The Manager looks at his managerial history, from Madrid to Anfield and everything along the way.

Towards the end of his playing career Benitez was handed the role of player / coach at Linares CF in 1985. Withdrawing from the game due to injury, though, he soon made the full time transition to the sidelines and in 1986, at the age of twenty six, Benítez returned to Real Madrid to join the club’s coaching staff.

Spot the gaffer: Benitez (far right)

Midway through the 1990-91 season Benitez replaced the outgoing José Antonio Camacho as coach of the Under 19’s squad. He continued to prove a success wherever he was placed, winning the Spain Under 19s Cup in 1991 and 1993, beating Barcelona in both finals. In 1993 the team completed a double when they also brought home the national Under 19 league.

As if he didn’t have enough on his plate, Benitez also worked as an assistant coach to Mariano García Remón at Real Madrid B during the 1992–93 season Benítez. However, such was level of success during his spell with the Under 19’s, García Remón was ousted to make room for Benitez to take full control of the second string for the 1993-94 Segunda División season.

As was becoming an emerging pattern with Benitez, though, he didn’t stick around in one place for too long.

In March 1994 he was named assistant manager to Vicente del Bosque with the senior Real Madrid team before making his final transition at the club; returning to coach Real Madrid B for the 1994–95 season.

Benitez very much learned his trade at Real Madrid. His involvement at every level meant he got to know the club inside out and his experience in all areas goes some way to explaining his obsession with having ‘total control’ at a club. By 1995, at the age of 36, he was ready to take on his first senior managerial job away from the Real Madrid fold. Unfortunately for Benitez, his first spells as an independent manager were a far cry from the success he had enjoyed at his previous club.

Real Valladolid were the first club to take hand Rafa his first senior role at the helm of a Primera Division club in 1995. Their faith in him soon vanquished, though, when after just two wins in 23 games and with the club rooted to the bottom of he table, Benitez was sacked.

As ever though, the Spaniard didn’t hang around long before taking up another challenge. At the start of the new season in1996, Benitez took charge of Segunda División outfit Osasuna. Again, though, his spell was short lived and this time he was sacked after just 9 games, only one of which the club won.

There was to be one positive to come out of this though, as it was at Osasuna that he met a man we have all come to be familiar with; Pako Ayestaran. The two formed a strong bond and would go on to work together at various clubs for the next ten years.

Another new season, then, brought around another new job for Rafa Benitez. He returned to the Segunda División to manage Extremadura and finally enjoyed some success with the club finishing second in the table behind and gaining promotion. Benitez, though, was only to remain at the club for one more season as the club were relegated in their first spell in the Primera División. He subsequently quite the club and took a year out. However, he did not move away from the game entirely. 

His spell away from management proved to be useful as he guided a talented Tenerife side to promotion to La Liga.

Benitez inherited a very talented squad at Valenica and he quickly endeared himself to the fans by adopting an attractive attacking style of play. Benitez knew exactly how to get the best out of his players and in 2002 his efforts came to fruition when they won the La Liga title for the first time in over 3 decades.

Any bad memories of the 2002-03 season were short lived though as Benitez guided Valencia to their second title in three years, as well as victory over Marseille in the UEFA Cup final.

Never one to hang around, Benitez was brought to Liverpool to replace the outgoing Gerard Houllier, with the club teetering on the brink of losing their top 4 status.

Benitez endured a bittersweet start to his Liverpool tenure, with the blow of Michael Owen’s departure somewhat softened by Steven Gerrard’s decision to stay at the club. He brought back the glory days in his first season in charge when he won the Champions League in what is widely regarded as the best final the competition has ever seen. The Reds also secured European Super Cup Glory and cruelly missed out on the World Club Championship. Their success in Europe went some way to overshadowing the clubs poor finish in the league. After finishing fifth they only qualified for the Champions League the following season as holders.

Liverpool started the 2006-07 season with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the community shield, something which reaffirmed the belief that they would be challenging for the Premier League crown.

However, it was not to be for the Reds that season. Poor away form was to prove their downfall as the club finished third in the league once more. They also went out of the League and FA Cup in embarrassing circumstances.

The silver lining for Liverpool was yet another emphatic Champions League campaign, although they just missed out on a 6th European Cup to old enemies AC Milan.

This was also the year that Benitez’s relationship with the clubs owners started to echo that during his spell at Valencia.

2007-08 was to be another fruitless season for Liverpool in terms of silverware. They finished 11 points behind winners Manchester Utd in fourth. Their prominence in Europe continued as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, losing out to Chelsea this time around. Liverpool’s failure to compete on the domestic front lead to further disagreements with the club’s owners. It has since emerged that Jurgen Klinsmann was offered the Liverpool manager’s job while he was still in the post. Remarkably, Benitez stuck around and the following season the club enjoyed their best Premier League campaign for years.

Last season Liverpool came within touching distance of their first League triumph in two decades. An emphatic league campaign culminated in a second place finish, just four points behind champions Manchester Utd. A stunning double over Real Madrid in the Champions League was the highlight of another good campaign that was ended yet again by rivals Chelsea.

Benitez’s Liverpool side have yet to click into gear this season but despite a faltering start, the manager is confident his side can turn things around. Given the progress he’s made over the years, few will be doubting him.

Stand by for part 2 of the mini series Rafa Benitez: The Manager where I'll be taking an in-depth look at his management style.