Liverpool Manager - Rafael Benitez

Rafael 'Rafa' Benítez Maudes was born in Madrid on 16th April 1960, as a youngster Rafael Benitez went to school in Madrid where he played for his school football teams, then as a twelve year old he played for the Real Madrid cantera.  Rafael Benitez played as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados in the Tercera División and Castilla CF in the Segunda División and in 1979 was selected to play for the Spain University XI at the World Student Games in Mexico.  During the games Rafael Benitez sustained an injury which sidelined him for a year and effectively ended his chances of becoming a high level player.  1981 saw Rafael Benítez join AD Parla of the Spanish Tercera División, the following year he obtained a degree in physical education and then 3 years later signed for Segunda División B club Linares CF.

during Rafael Benitez's time at Linares CF he suffered further injuries which eventually ended his playing career, however, not before gaining valuable experience serving as a player/coach setting himself up for a future in coaching.  Rafael Benitez enjoyed a varied start to the next stage of his career returning first to Real Madrid in 1986 to join the coaching staff.  He was then appointed coach of Castilla B, where he won two league titles in 1987 and 1989, before taking the Real Madrid youth B team to a further title in 1990.  In 1989, while at Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez gained his coaching certificate and midway through the 1990/91 season became coach of the under 19's with whom he won the Spain U-19 Cup twice and the national U-19 league.  At the start of the 1993/94 season Rafael Benitez took over the management of the Real Madrid B team and enjoyed a stint as assistant manager of the senior squad in March 1994, returning to the B team for the 1994/95 campaign.