It's been nearly a decade since Real Madrid fired Rafa Benitez as head coach. The Spaniard was appointed in June 2025, taking over after Carlo Ancelotti's first stint.
His tenure as coach of the senior team lasted just short of six months, with Benitez being relieved of his duties in January 2016. The move followed reports that fans were unimpressed with his progress and that he had a strained relationship with his players.
In a recent interview, Benitez still questions the decision nearly ten years on. Looking at his results and performances, he believes the team was playing good football.
Rafa Benitez Believes His Real Madrid Team Was Playing Well
Rafa Benitez
IMAGO / Marca
In an interview in Italy (h/t Diario AS), Benitez spoke about his firing at Real Madrid in 2016. It still surprises him to this day as he believes he had his team playing good football, and was in the title race.
"My Real Madrid team played well and scored goals despite having some difficulties like Benzema's injury. People think I didn't do well there, but it's just that they didn't give me time, because we were five points behind Barcelona in January and there was time to turn things around. Especially with Benzema coming back, who had been out for a while."
Rafa Benitez
Benitez also spoke about others copying his coaching style, revealing a situation where he watched former player Fernando Torres training at another club.
"I went to see Fernando Torres training and I said to myself, 'He's doing our training.' He was doing the same start, this and that. When I saw he was with one group and not the other, I said, 'Look, you should go with the other group,' and suddenly he switched to the other group."
Rafa Belitez
Rafa Benite
IMAGO / Bildbyran
Benitez had managed Los Blancos earlier in his coaching career, but the U-17 and Castilla sides. He was a first-team assistant during the 1993-94 season, working with Vicente del Bosque, before he returned to the youth setup.
The 65-year-old has had a successful career, mainly in England with Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle United. In Spain, he won two La Liga titles while at Valencia, marking a significant moment in Spanish football as the last team to claim the league title outside the big three (Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid). He is currently out of work, but would like to be a head coach once again.
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