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. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 33 draw. Only the two men would truly be able to answer whether their relationship changed after that trip to the San Siro. "On a psychological level, it was very hard because I restrained myself a lot. I was really upset. [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. Liverpool fans were seen singing his name during the side's. I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. It was either his way or no way. [9], Valencia fans also were soon won over by Bentez after he introduced a more attacking style of play than his predecessor, Cper. "I just thought, 'am I so bad that they want me to leave and they want him?'. 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. "With Rafa, it is all about himself. The situation is said to be dire and Leach may have suffered seizures. We played attacking football. [18], In the Champions League, however, Liverpool fared differently. Released at the end of his contract, he signed for Real Zaragoza in the summer of 2009 on a free transfer and has repeatedly slammed Benitez in the years that have followed. 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. Commenting on Benitez's touchline instructions, he said: "On the pitch, often I can see whats best. But after being sent off in a Champions League clash with Porto in September 2007 and suffering an injury against Besiktas, his fortunes turned and he fell down the pecking order after being unable to regain his place or recapture his earlier form. In the years since leaving Liverpool, Keane has never criticised Benitez for selling the striker but believes the Spaniard was simply the wrong manager for him at the wrong time in his career. [28] It was reported Bentez did not feel he had the complete support of the new owners, a thought that was compounded by Liverpool's initial lack of activity in the transfer window, although the club played these rumours down. "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. If you want to stay, theres not much point, I know you like playing and youre better off going. 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,. There was an issue over whether it was a loan move first or a permanent transfer straight away. 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. But, with Rafa, the training was so boring that youd come in and all youd want to do was slit your wrists! Rafa Benitez has praised Liverpool teenager Stefan Bajcetic ahead of tonight's Champions League first leg clash with Real Madrid. You already know the story, of course. He started to get up to go but I told him to wait for a second. Rafa Benitez is my favourite coach in world football. This is the place to moan and discuss about every single thing that happened in games and with your team. The euphoria of lifting the European Cup 15 years ago today is a feeling Rafael Benitez will never forget. Yet he scored just one Premier League goal in the second half of the season and was sold to Aston Villa in. Plenty predicted that Benitez's name would be sung at Anfield more than Goodison and so it proved. ", '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. I wasnt in the mood. Bentez stands by his tactic, pointing out that teams who man-mark concede just as many, if not more, goals from set pieces. This was followed by a 40 home loss in the first Clsico of the season against Barcelona. [133], Bentez has developed a reputation in English football as a hard man to please, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitting he longed for a "well done" from Bentez after good performances. Initially, he joined Parla on loan, but eventually signed for them permanently and helped them gain promotion to Segunda Divisin B. Steven Gerrard has lifted the lid on his "frosty" relationship with former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. Bentez argued he needed to rotate his small squad to ensure key players were fit for the latter stages of these knockout competitions. Due to this unbeaten run, Benitez was nominated for the Manager of the Month award. 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. Liverpool came from 20 down and were losing 32 in stoppage time when Steven Gerrard scored a dramatic late equalizer. 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. "I have still not swallowed it. 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. Bentez played as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados in the Tercera Divisin and Castilla CF in the Segunda Divisin. This view was later supported by Sir Alex Ferguson. 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. In some ways, it is a surprise that Benitez lasted this long. From the latest transfers and match reports to training ground gossip and the running of the game, bridgeviews.co.uk offers a different perspective. The Reds moved to six points adrift of fourth place after a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United. Liverpool fans will surely be fascinated to hear Rafa Benitez reminisce about his time in charge of the Reds on the club's official podcast. "I have not said I am going to leave Liverpool. GAMEWEEK 7 - DISCUSSION, RANT & INFO THREAD. Don't sign. A lot of people at Liverpool treated me well and asked me to stay, but I could not turn down such a massive club as Chelsea. I've got two or three possibilities already and things are starting to move behind the scenes.". [82] They subsequently lost 10 at home to 20th-placed Queens Park Rangers[83] in the Premier League and were knocked out of the League Cup semi-finals by underdogs Swansea City 20 on aggregate. "Yet even now they are talking about signing another centre half.". [19], In a classic final, dubbed the Miracle of Istanbul, Liverpool came from 30 down at half time to level the score at 33 in the space of just six minutes, eventually triumphing 32 on penalties with the assistance of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek. Bentez's demands were dismissed out of hand by the Inter ownership, with Massimo Moratti refusing to comment on Bentez's continued employment by the club. I should have stayed a bit longer and trusted myself, I should have. [citation needed], Bentez has also had confrontations with Sam Allardyce when he was manager of Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. "[91], On 19 May, in his final competitive game as Chelsea manager, Bentez managed the team to a 21 home win over Everton, ensuring a third-place finish in the Premier League and a direct spot in the following season's Champions League group stage. 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. ago. Benitez famously led Liverpool to the 2004-05 Champions League crown, and has twice won the UEFA Cup (Valencia, Chelsea). Murphy would sign for Charlton Atheltic in a 2.5m deal in August 2004. Not only was he a brilliant coach but he is a very sharp, savvy businessman. I just sat there, half in shock. It was funny. 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. Im not a defensive midfielder. 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 . "Just before I left Liverpool last January was when they brought in Pellegrino," he told the Mail on Sunday. [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. That's when Chelsea made an offer and the deal was done before Benitez left. "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'. 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. 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. Liverpool have announced manager Rafael Benitez has left the club by mutual consent after six years in charge. The club began their campaign with an unimpressive 21 aggregate win over Grazer AK in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages. [112] On 25 May 2016, it was confirmed that Bentez would remain as manager. It was never really explained to me. 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]. [74][75] This was followed by a 00 draw at home to Fulham and a 31 loss to West Ham. 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. I want to know.. Brooklyn, USA models-art.ru Joined June Brooklyn-based designer Kimberly Goldson competed in reality show 'Project Runway,' just landed in the Saks window, and is preparing to make. And I would like to play there constantly.". "It was for the Champions League quarter-final squad against Inter," Alonso said. 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. I got more and more frustrated with him until transfer deadline day when I finally boiled over. Considering Liverpool were working on a limited budget when Benitez first took over as manager in the summer of 2004, its inevitable that he would have to force some players out to help raise funds for his own signings. [11] These differences of opinion saw Bentez resign as Valencia coach on 1 June 2004. 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. The. They wanted to take me on loan for six months, for which Liverpool would get 800,000, then complete a permanent 3m transfer in the summer if they avoided relegation. It was such a special, important moment that I took the decision that I needed to be there, Alonso explained. 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. Bentez still appeared to be at odds with Liverpool's owners, publicly turning down a contract extension and demanding more control over transfers. ", "Rafael Benitez's Istanbul memories | Tactics, Gerrard switch and trophy lift", "Motion expert says Garcia's shot did cross the line", "Top 20 sporting moments of the decade: Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul', "Benitez Uncovered: Inside The Dressing Room On That Amazing Night In Istanbul", "Rafa's Boys: How Successful Was Benitez in the Transfer Market? 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. "[39] With ten wins in their last 11 games, Liverpool finished the season on a high, finishing second in the league for the first time under Bentez, four points off champions Manchester United, with Liverpool playing an attractive brand of attacking football at odds with the side that struggled through the winter months. So I asked who he was going to sign. All of a sudden youre confused. The negotiations started. Benitez just shook his head Id got the sack, plain and simple. He did everything so coldly, almost inhumanely, because he saw things as business.
Boat Service Center In Hubli,
265 Vs 285 Tires 4runner,
Party Halls For Rent In Santa Clarita,
Stop Work Verification Form Mn,
Articles R