He returned to Italy in 2013 to coach Napoli, where he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana. He was unable to avoid relegation, but earned promotion back to the Premier League the following year, winning the Championship.

• Chelsea's shortest reigning permanent manager is Danny Blanchflower, who was in charge for 32 games.
[69], On 27 February 2013, following a 2–0 win at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth-round, Benítez heavily criticised the Chelsea board for giving him the title of "interim manager" and the Chelsea fans for their protests against him. He joined Real Madrid's coaching staff at the age of 26, going on to work as the under-19 and reserve team coach, and assistant manager for the senior team. [12] In January, Benítez's side lost twice in four days to Arsenal in both domestic cup competitions, including a 6–3 defeat in the League Cup that was Liverpool's heaviest home defeat since 1913. [39] All Rights Reserved. “We went in at half-time and everyone was a bit down and so the manager had to lift us up,” he told the club’s official site. [75] Defender David Luiz credited Benítez with making critical changes at half time, saying, "He changed some of our positions in the second half. [71] Results continued to be mixed, and at one point Chelsea found themselves 16 points behind league leaders Manchester United, having been just four behind when Benítez was appointed. [citation needed], Benítez was unable to win any trophies as Liverpool's domestic campaign falter in the winter months – including a shock FA Cup exit at home to Barnsley, with his side losing to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. His mother is Rosario Maudes. [108], Benítez 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 Benítez after good performances. [21] Striker Keane was later re-sold back to Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window, with some analysts claiming he was a "pawn in a power struggle" between Benítez and the club's owners. [citation needed] Benítez had reportedly intended to sell Xabi Alonso to fund the purchase of Barry, but Liverpool CEO Rick Parry was reported to have prioritised signing Robbie Keane over Barry, causing tension when Barry did not arrive. [38] On 15 June 2010, Benítez was presented to the Italian media for the first time after signing a two-year deal. [20], In a sign of the increasingly strained relationship between the Liverpool manager and his board, Benítez was reportedly close to quitting Liverpool in the summer of 2008 over the Liverpool board's failure to back him in his bid to purchase Gareth Barry from Aston Villa. [3], The first attempts by Benítez at senior management away from the Real Madrid fold were less than successful. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 3–3 draw. What basic form of competition is most conducive to the use of marketing mix? [74] This made Benítez only the second manager after Giovanni Trapattoni to have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League with two different teams, and Chelsea became the fourth club overall and first in Britain to have won all three major European trophies. In March 1994, he became assistant manager to Vicente del Bosque with the senior Real Madrid team before returning to coach Real Madrid B for the 1994–95 season. He also worked as a commentator/analyst for Eurosport, Marca, El Mundo and local Madrid TV. Rafael Benítez Maudes (Spanish pronunciation: [rafaˈel ˈrafa βeˈniteθ ˈmawðes];[a] born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional. The first manager of Chelsea Football Club was John Tait Robertson, appointed in 1905.The … Mourinho has won the most domestic titles, whereas Ancelotti led Chelsea to their first league and FA Cup "Double". Later in the summer transfer window, Benítez signed several players from La Liga, most notably Luis García and Xabi Alonso, both of whom drew immediate admiration from Kopites. Country: England ## England International ... Frank Lampard hailed Thiago Silva's "perfect 60 minutes" after the veteran Brazil defender made his debut for Chelsea in the League Cup on Wednesday.... more » 24.09.2020 12:05. We need to be strong together and keep encouraging one another.”. [37], On 10 June 2010, and only a few days after leaving Liverpool, Benítez agreed a deal to become the new head coach of Serie A and reigning Champions League title-holders Inter Milan, a post that was left vacant by the departure of José Mourinho, who left to manage Real Madrid. In 2001, Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia, replacing Héctor Cúper. They have two daughters, Claudia, who was born in Madrid in 1999, and Ágata who was born in Valencia in 2002. But Robinson, who has now scored three times after returning on a permanent deal from Sheffield United in the summer, believes they can take heart from Saturday’s display.