The new Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez has been officially presented, but what does this mean for the man himself, the club and fans? As a kid born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Rafael Benitez has always been a fan of the Real Madrid football club. He played for the organization's reserve squad from 1974 to 1980, and managed the Real Madrid youth squad from 1993 to 1995-his first professional coaching job. He's since had stints as manager at a slew of other football clubs, including Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, an interim post at Chelsea, and most recently, a successful run at Napoli. Now, Benitez is coming home to claim the job he's wanted all his life: the head coaching position at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez made quite the splash at the close of the 2014 2015 La Liga season, sacking manager Carlo Ancelotti after the Vikings failed to win the domestic league title. Ancelotti coached Real to a record 10th Champions League win last year, and built a team that led the La Liga for much of the 2014 2015 campaign. Ultimately, though, the wearers of the Real Madrid home shirt 2014 2015 slipped to second, surpassed by an on-fire Barcelona squad. The near miss cost Ancelotti his job as Real Madrid manager.
A New Era
Needless to say, the appointment of Rafael Benitez on a three-year contract also marks the start of a new era at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Then again, who knows how long this new era will actually last: Perez is arguably the most trigger happy boss in the entire top flight soccer world, as evidenced by the fact that the Vikings have had 12 head coaches in the past 12 years. Will Benitez be able to beat the odds as unlucky number 13?
He certainly has a strong resume. Indeed, in his managerial career, Benitez has found substantial success with every team he's coached. As the manager for Real Madrid's youth team, he coached squads to victories in both the Under-19 League and Cup. A few years later, stints with second division Spanish soccer clubs like Extremadura and Tenerife saw both teams promoted briefly to the La Liga.
His success in the Segunda Division earned Benitez a job offer as manager at Valencia, where he immediately found success. In his first season coaching in the La Liga, Rafa coached his team to a league title, and won the Don Balon Award for La Liga Best Coach. The next year, Benitez once again coached Valencia to La Liga victory, as well as a win in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League).
Rafa's successes as a football manager have continued ever since. With Liverpool, he won the Champions League, the Super Cup, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield; with Inter Milan, he clinched the Supercoppa Italiana and the FIFA Club World Cup; as interim manager at Chelsea, he led the club to victory in the 2012 2013 Europa League; and in the last two year's, Benitez has coached Napoli to two top five finishes in the Serie A and to titles in both the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana.
An Uphill Battle
Even despite his resume and his palpable love for Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez will face an uphill battle as manager at the club next season. That's not just because Perez is a football president who seemingly likes to have a revolving door of managers, either. Rather, it's the cool reception that Benitez seems to be getting from many Viking fans and players alike.
Indeed, according to a poll cited by The Guardian, only eight percent of Real Madrid supporters are happy about Rafa's arrival at the club. Some of them have a problem with how Carlo Ancelotti was cast out after two strong seasons at the football club; others are worried that Benitez might not place enough focus on the skills of Cristiano Ronaldo. Rafa has been classified as a defensive soccer coach in the past, and uses a rotation system that gives top players more rest than they might get at other clubs.
For Ronaldo, who played in 35 La Liga matches and scored 48 league goals in 2014 2015, Rafa's style might mean more time on the bench and fewer scoring opportunities. Rumors have even circulated that Ronaldo would seek a transfer opportunity if Benitez was appointed, but it's unclear yet whether there was any validity to those claims.
Do you think Rafa Benitez is a good choice as Real Madrid's next coach? Or do you think Ancelotti should have been given another year at the club? Let us know by connecting with Soccer Box on social media. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or other popular platforms. Or simply head to Soccer Box to order your Real Madrid home shirt 2014 - 2015, we have special offers and coupon codes available online now!
