Rafa Benitez is the former Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan manager who is currently without a club since being sakced by Inter Milan last December. His most successful spell came at Liverpool, whom he joined in 2004, enjoying many special European Nights. Unfortunately his players couldn’t repeat their Champions League performances in the Premier League, which ultimately lead to his dismissal.

Profile
Rafa made his name as a coach with Valencia in his native Spain where he won over their traditionally demanding fans by ending their 31-year wait for a league title in 2002, a feat he repeated in 2004. That was accompanied by a UEFA Cup triumph in the same year, which made him one of the most sought after coaches in Europe.

In 2004 he joined Liverpool , with whom he won the Champions League in his first season in charge, The Final is widely considered one of the best of all time after Liverpool recovered from 3-0 down to take the match into extra time and then penalties, which they won thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek. The following season he won the FA Cup and later the UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield. Benitez could never quite get Liverpool going in the league and they were a much more feared side in European competition. The closest he came to winning The Reds their first Premier League title was in 2009 when they finished as runners-up.

In early June 2010 he left by mutual consent after Liverpool finished the league in 7th. A week later he was appointed manager of Inter Milan but was under pressure from the start after the club had won a fantastic treble the previous season with Jose Mourinho in charge. Benitez didn’t last long and was sacked in December 2010. He did, however, manage to win the Suppercoppa Italiana and FIFA Club World Cup before he was axed.

Job Prospects

Benitez is an experienced manager who has worked in Europe’s top three leagues; England, Spain and Italy. He was linked with the Aston Villa and Fulham vacanacy this summer but is still unemployed. Expect his name to be thrown about after the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season.

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