Rafael Benítez Maudes is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who most recently managed Premier League club Everton.
Benítez 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. He moved away from Real Madrid in 1995, but management spells at Real Valladolid and Osasuna were short-lived and unsuccessful. He guided Segunda División club Extremadura back to La Liga in his first season in the 1997–98 season, but the team was relegated the following season. He left the club, and coached Tenerife in 2000, winning promotion in his only season.
Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia and won La Liga in the 2001–02 season. In 2004, another La Liga league title and a UEFA Cup victory were added building on the foundation laid by Héctor Cúper who had taken Valencia to two consecutive Champions League finals; in 2000 against Real Madrid, and in 2001 against Bayern Munich. After leaving Valencia, Benitez moved to English club Liverpool of the Premier League, guiding the club to victory in the UEFA Champions League in 2005. For the second consecutive season, he was named UEFA Manager of the Year. 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 Benítez a second-place finish in 2008–09.
After leaving Liverpool in June 2010, Benítez was appointed manager of treble-winning side Inter Milan. His reign at the club was a short one and he was dismissed midway through the 2010–11 season. In November 2012, he was appointed interim manager of Chelsea for the remainder of the season and he won the 2013 Europa League. He returned to Italy in 2013 to coach Napoli, where he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana. He then left Napoli and became coach of Real Madrid in June 2015 on an initial three-year contract. It was another short-lived appointment and on 4 January 2016, he was dismissed following a 2–2 draw against his old club, Valencia.
Benítez was appointed as manager of Newcastle United in March 2016 in an attempt to save the club from relegation. He was unable to avoid relegation, but earned promotion back to the Premier League the following year, winning the Championship. He left the club in June 2019 and the following month was appointed manager of Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional. He left the club by mutual consent in January 2021 before taking over as manager at Everton in June. He was dismissed in January 2022 after a run where Everton lost 9 out of 13 games.
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Some of their strengths
Rafael Benítez has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Responsible, Practical, Honest, Energetic, Imaginative, Loyal, and Caring.
Independent and Brave
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Rafael Benítez is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who is ambitious and motivated.
Strong and Resilient
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Rafael Benítez well know them as someone who can be strong, expansive, and stable like a big tree.
Imaginative and Sentimental
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Rafael Benítez as someone who is imaginative, sentimental, and in touch with emotions.
A person who has extremely good memory and analytical skills, likes to make sure that everyone gets along, enjoys all kinds of situations and people, has a talent for travel and languages, and who makes lifelong friends.
Realistic and Skillful
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Rafael Benítez is someone who is able to separate emotions from reality, see the world in terms of right or wrong, and who is very good at getting things done.
They are also someone who is mysterious, intuitive, and diplomatic, and who has a keen intuition, charisma, and a focus on balance and partnership.
Independent and Dynamic
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Rafael Benítez tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.
Some of Rafael Benítez's challenges
While Rafael Benítez has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Rafael Benítez can be Irritable, Stubborn, Short-tempered, Impulsive, Careless, Emotional, and Standoffish.
Short-tempered and Impulsive
One of Rafael Benítez's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.
Rafael Benítez must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Irritable and Moody
Rafael Benítez is someone who can be irritable and moody, have a tendency to experience self-doubt, be too secretive, can take too many risks, and who can have an extreme approach to managing personal finances.
Aggressive and Domineering
Finally, Rafael Benítez also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.
