Rafael Benítez

At 64 years old, Rafael Benítez has this physical status:

Rafael Benítez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang. 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.

Benítez moved away from Real Madrid in 1995, but management spells at Real Valladolid and Osasuna were short-lived and unsuccessful.

Benítez guided Segunda División side Extremadura back to the Primera División in his first season in 1997, 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.

Benítez 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. On 11 March 2016, Benítez was announced as the manager of Newcastle United in an attempt to save the club from relegation.

Benítez 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.

Personal life

Benítez's father, Francisco, worked as a hotelier. His mother is Rosario Maudes. Rosario is a big football fan and supported Real Madrid, while his father supported Atlético Madrid. Francisco died in December 2005 while Benítez was in Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship.

Rafael Benítez married Maria Montserrat in 1998. They have two daughters, Claudia, who was born in Madrid in 1999, and Ágata who was born in Valencia in 2002. Benítez is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Italian.

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Early career

Bentez progressed through the ranks as a midfielder for both Real Madrid Aficionados and Castilla CF in the Segunda División. He also enrolled at INEF, the sports faculty at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, in 1982, and received a degree in physical education.

Bentez was selected to represent Spain's Youth U-19s at the World Student Games in Mexico City in 1979, scoring a point in the first round, a 10–0 victory over Cuba. In the next game, a 0–0 draw against Canada, he was hurt in a hard tackle. He was sidelined for a year and hampered his chances of becoming a major player as a result of the injury. Bentez joined Tercera División Parla in 1981. He started on loan with Parla, but later signed for them on a permanent basis and helped them win promotion to Segunda División B. He also appeared in three more games for the Spain Universities XI. He signed for Segunda División B team Linares in 1985 and under Enrique Mateos as a player/coach. He missed almost the entire 1985-86 season due to injuries, and then retired as a player.

Managerial career

Bentez returned to Real Madrid in 1986 at the age of 26, joining the club's coaching staff. He was appointed coach of Castilla B. at the start of the 1986–87 season. In 1987 and 1989, he gained two league titles with this team. In 1990, he won his third league title with Real Madrid Youth B. José Antonio Camacho, the head coach of Real Madrid's under-19 team, was hired half way through the 1990-91 season. He won the Spain Under 19s Cup in 1991 and 1993 with the team, defeating Barcelona in both finals. In 1993, the team won the national under-19 league for the second time. While at Real, Bentez earned his teaching credential in 1989 and 1990 at the University of California in Davis, California.

Bentez served as an assistant coach to Mariano Garca Remón at Real Madrid B. During the 1992-1993 season, he also served as an assistant coach to Mariano Garca Remón. Bentez joined Garca Remón at the start of the 1993-1994 season after his success with the U19s. Real Madrid B was still playing in the Segunda División back in 1993, and he made his debut as a Segunda División boss on September 4, 1993, beating Hércules 3–1. He joined Vicente del Bosque with the senior Real Madrid team in March 1994 and then returned to coach Real Madrid B for the 1994–95 season.

Bentez's first attempts at senior management away from the Real Madrid fold were less fruitful. He was named manager of Real Valladolid in the 1995–96 season, but he was fired after only two victories in 23 games with the club at the bottom of La Liga. Bentez was in charge of Osasuna in the Segunda División during the 1996-1997 season, but after only nine games and one win, he was dismissed. He did, however, meet the fitness instructor Pako Ayestarán at the club and went on to form a joint venture with him over the next decade. He was a member of Extremadura, a Segunda División team, in 1997, and the team advanced to promotion this season, finishing second in the table behind Alavés after winning 23 out of 42 games. Extremadura had only played in La Liga for one season, but they were relegated in 1999 after finishing 17th and losing a play-off to Rayo Vallecano.

Bentez left Extremadura and spent a year away from football to studying in England and Italy. He also worked as a commentator/analyst for Eurosport, Marca, El Mundo, and local Madrid television. He was promoted to La Liga in 2000, after serving second in the league behind Sevilla and Real Betis.

Ben Tez was appointed coach of Valencia in 2001, replacing Héctor Cper. Javier Irureta, Mané, and Luis Aragonés had previously been considered by all three clubs, but they had been turned down by both three teams. However, Club Director Javier Subirats recognized Ben's potential and lobbied for his appointment. According to Santiago Caizares, the team was initially shocked, but they were soon swept over by his modesty as he introduced himself: "You come from the Champions League final, and I come from Segunda División, but I guess I have the skills to help you develop."

Valencians were soon won over by Bentez, who introduced a more attacking style of play than his predecessor, Cper. With Mista winning and becoming the top goalscorer for Valencia in the 2003–04 season, he also brought in both Mista from his previous club and Francisco Rufete from Málaga. Bentez led Valencia to their first La Liga title in 31 years in 2002, winning by a seven-point margin over second-placed Deportivo La Corua.

However, the 2002-03 season was a disappointing one; the club struggled to capitalize on their title success, finishing 18 points behind champions Real Madrid, and missed out on the top four by a single point. Bentez made his Champions League debut in the season, where his side qualified to Inter Milan in the quarterfinals.

Valencia won La Liga with three games to spare and defeated Marseille 21-0 in the UEFA Cup final in 2003–2004. Despite this success, Bentez was left out with Jes Garca Pitarch, the club's football director, over new signings and the club's inability to keep the squad with the players he wanted. "I was looking for a couch [a defender] and they've given me a lamp [Fabián Canobbio]]" in reference to the positions he needed to be improved, he said. Bentez resigned as Valencia coach on June 1, 2004, owing to these differences of opinion.

Bentez was appointed manager of Liverpool on June 16, replacing Gérard Houllier, becoming the first Spaniard to rule in the Premier League. "It's like a dream to be here." on his arrival, he said. "I am extremely proud to be one of the world's best leagues, and I want to win."

One of Ben's first jobs at Liverpool was to convince club captain Steven Gerrard not to transfer to Chelsea. However, he was unable to persuade Michael Owen to prolong his term; he was later sold to Real Madrid. Bentez signed many players from La Liga, most notable Luis Garca and Xabi Alonso, both of whom received immediate praise from Liverpool fans, later in the summer transfer window. Along Sami Hyypiä, Bentez gave existing Liverpool players a new lease on life.

Bentez was unable to improve Liverpool's Premiership form during his first season. Principal players were unable to compete against Chelsea and Arsenal for the league title this season, finishing fifth after a lengthy season of injuries. Bentez, on the other hand, reached his first English domestic cup final, losing the League Cup final against Chelsea at 3–2 after extra time.

Liverpool, on the other hand, did not fare well in the Champions League. The club opened their campaign with an impressive 2–1 aggregate victory over Grazer AK in the qualifying rounds, just seconds away from being out of the competition in the group stages. However, Steven Gerrard's 87th-minute goal beat Olympiacos 3-1, bringing the team to the last 16 on head-to-head difference. Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semi-finals after defeating Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus with the support of some outstanding team picks by Bentez. Liverpool beat Luis Garca 1–0 on aggregate and reach the final against Milan after a tumultuous early goal in the second leg.

Liverpool went from 3–0 down at half time to level 3–3 on penalties in a matter of just six minutes, before winning 3–2 on penalties with goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek's help. The players were expected to have an incredible comeback and triumph Liverpool a landmark fifth European Cup thanks to Ben's calm, methodical approach at halftime. Bentez was the third manager in history (after Bob Paisley and José Mourinho) to win the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons, and the second Liverpool manager (after Joe Fagan) to win the UEFA Champions League/European Cup in his first season in charge. Despite a relatively unimpressive roster of players, Liverpool's tactics were lauded as a key factor in their progress and victory in the final.

Dudek's heroics in the final were not enough for him to remain as first-choice keeper as Pepe Reina was hired in from the start of the 2005-06 season. Bentez also dismissed Vladimr r micer and Igor Bian, who were instrumental in the European success but who didn't appear in Ben's long-term goals. After struggling to establish themselves, Bentez sold Josemi and Antonio Nez, two of his first signings in English football, as well as former Liverpool player Robbie Fowler to help the team grow.

Bentez's signings helped the club's Premiership form improve dramatically. Liverpool came third in the league, losing by a single point on second place by a single point. Liverpool gained the FA Cup against Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as a thrilling 5–3 win over Luton Town in the third round, which advanced to the final against West Ham United. History repeated itself in the final as they went on to lift the trophy after a dramatic 3–3 draw. Liverpool came from 2–0 down and were losing 3–2 in stoppage time when Steven Gerrard scored a spectacular late equalizer. Pepe Reina saved three points on the shoot-out to earn the silverware this time.

Following Bentez's early success, the English media predicted Liverpool would face Chelsea in the 2006-07 Premier League title, a belief that has been reinforced after his team defeated Chelsea by 2–1 victory over Chelsea. However, the title defense fizzled out early in the season, with Liverpool's poor form away from Anfield fueling rumors that Bentez's time at Anfield was short-lived, with his agent claiming that Bentez would investigate offers to manage in Italy. Bentez re-affirmed his commitment to Liverpool for the long term via a statement sent on the club's website shortly.

Supporters and a new stadium were on hand to welcome new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, with the hope that the new owners would invest for new players and a new stadium. Gillett, the new owner of his new investment, expressed delight as Bentez defeated his domestic difficulties to lead Liverpool to another Champions League final. "Rafa has been amazing... we knew he was fine, but not just as a coach," Gillett said after Liverpool defeated Chelsea in the semi-final, this time on penalties. Not only is he a natural coach, but he is also a smart, savvy businessman. He knows what he wants and how to obtain it. The more we have seen of him, the more impressed we have become." Following his team's 2–1 loss to Milan in the final, Bentez did not reciprocate his owner's kind words, requiring that his club's new owners support him in the transfer market. Bentez did not appear to have the complete support of the new owners, a belief that was exacerbated by Liverpool's inability in the transfer window, despite the club's continued lack of activity in the transfer window.

When Bentez signed Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Atlético Madrid, as well as signing Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Lucas Leiva, and Andriy Voronin, the spending was, eventually, significant, breaking Liverpool's transfer record. Craig Bellamy, who was evidently dropped out of the first team after an altercation with John Arne Riise in the run-up to Liverpool's triumph over Barcelona in the Champions League final, was one of those Bentez sold.

Liverpool started the 2007–08 season off right by defeating Derby County 1-0 for the first time under Bentez. Despite this, poor results in the Champions League and a rift over future transfers, the club's founders suffered to a public fallout with the club's board, which was visible in the media at the time. Bentez' position was now in jeopardy, according to reports. The resulting coverage culminated in a show of love by fans in favor of Bentez, which culminated in a supporters' march in favor of Bentez, which culminated in a supporters' march in favor of Bentez, which culminated in a fans' rally in favor of Bentez, which the team won 4–1. Jürgen Klinsmann had been given Ben'tez's employment before eventually accepting the role as Bayern Munich's boss. Bentez's friendship with the Americans were harmed by such rumors, with persistent rumors linking the Spaniard with a return to Real Madrid. Bentez, on the other hand, said he was at Liverpool and expressed his long-term plan by naming Sammy Lee as his replacement for his long-serving right-hand man, Pako Ayestarán, who resigned after a public spat, which Bentez said "hurt" him and arguably Liverpool's titles aspirations.

Bentez was unable to win any trophies in the winter months as a result of a disappointing FA Cup departure at home to Barnsley, which culminated in his team's UEFA Champions League semi-finals losing to Chelsea. Despite the lack of silverware, the key talking points were off the field, with Bentez at the center of a power struggle with the Liverpool board.

Bentez was expected to leave Liverpool in the summer of 2008 as a result of the board's inability to support him in his attempt to buy Gareth Barry from Aston Villa, indicating that it was an increasing tense relationship between the Liverpool manager and his board. According to reports, Bentez planned to sell Xabi Alonso to finance Barry's purchase, but Liverpool CEO Rick Parry was reported to have prioritised signing Robbie Keane over Barry, causing tense if Barry did not arrive. Striker Keane was recalled to Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window, with some commentators claiming he was a "pawn in a power fight" between Bentez and the club's owners. This off-field turbulence occurred in comparison to Liverpool's remarkable start to the Premier League in 2008, including Benotez' first ever league victory over Manchester United at Anfield on September 13th and ending Chelsea's 86 match unbeaten run in the league at Stamford Bridge. For the first time since 1996, Liverpool reached the top of the Premier League for the first time since 1996.

However, Liverpool's poor results in the New Year brought a sharper focus on Bentez, who had missed Liverpool's draw with Arsenal in December due to an operation to remove kidney stones. Some pundits and opposition backers argued that Bentez was "cracking up" under the pressures of a title challenge, after an infamous attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the media. Bentez also appeared to be at odds with Liverpool's owners, refusing a contract extension and demanding greater authority over transfers. At one point, rumors of Bentez quitting or being dismissed became so widespread that bookmakers had to stop betting on the matter.

Nevertheless, Bentez signed a new five-year contract with the club on March 18, 2009, just after winning by 4–0 over Real Madrid and 4–1 victory over Manchester United. "My heart is with Liverpool," Bentez said, "I'm thrilled to sign this new contract," the club, the fans, and the city, and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying." Liverpool finished the season on a high, finishing second in the league for the first time under Bentez, four points behind champions Manchester United, with Liverpool playing an attractive brand of attacking football at odds with the team that suffered through the winter months, with ten wins in the last 11 games.

Xabi Alonso, one of Ben'tez's key players, was sold to Real Madrid ahead of Ben'tez's final season in a contract reportedly worth £30 million. Bentez's attempts to sell him the previous summer, according to Alonso, were the deciding factor in his move. Alberto Aquilani, an Italian midfielder who had signed from Roma for £17 million and was recovering from a long-term injury, was immediately dropped in the squad. Glen Johnson, an England defender, was also purchased for a £17.5 million fee. Due to rising debt, as well as Alonso's departure, a "sell to buy" policy enforced by the club's fanbase, which believed that Bentez was not being properly supported in the transfer market, triggered dissatisfaction with large parts of the club's fanbase. With two losses in the first three games, Bentez's decision to sell Alonso and keep him in the team with Lucas Leiva, in addition to Aquilani's arrival at the club injured. Bentez defended his decisions, arguing that Liverpool's sluggish start was due to key players such as Steven Gerrard being below par.

Liverpool fans were among the first major vocal criticisms of Bentez in 22 years, as a result of his release from the Champions League at the group stage. Despite the fact that Bentez's defensive rigidity was lacking despite the fact that only Manchester United and Chelsea conceded fewer goals than Liverpool, and that the Liverpool team was lacking the required depth to deal with injury to key players such as Gerrard and Fernando Torres, while Bentez's decision was called into question. Atlético Madrid, the club, who later dropped out of the UEFA Europa League, and Atlético Madrid dominated the sport.

Bentez departed the club "by mutual consent" on June 3rd, 2010; the media speculated that this was because the team had finished seventh in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League, and had poor results, including the loss to Wigan Athletic. Bentez made a £96,000 donation to the Hillsborough Family Support Group shortly after his release from Anfield.

Bentez, the former champions of Serie A and reigning Champions League champions Inter Milan, reached an agreement on June 10th, a post that had been vacant before being sent to lead Real Madrid. After signing a two-year contract, Bentez appeared in the Italian media for the first time on June 15, 2010. After beating Roma 3–1, Bentez claimed his first trophy as boss of the Italian Super Cup on August 21, 2010. Inter lost to Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup on August 27, 2010 in Monaco. In the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Ben'tez's first Serie A game under his reign was in 2010 in a 0–0 draw away to Bologna. On September 11, 2010, he defeated Udinese 2–1 at the San Siro in his first league victory as boss.

Inter had dropped to sixth in Serie A by December 2010, 13 points behind the top (although Inter had played two games less), Chievo and Lazio, as well as losing at Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, triggering rumors that Bentez's position was under threat. Despite criticism, Bentez led Inter to victory of the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2010. Despite the fact that the team had only won the championship a few months before, he begged the European champions to either back him with fresh signings or consider whether they wanted to keep him as coach. The Inter ownership rejected Ben'tez's appeals out of hand, with Massimo Moratti refusing to comment on Ben'tez's continued employment by the club. Inter dropped Bentez on December 23, 2010, just five days after bringing Inter to the title, just five days after bringing Inter Inter to victory.

Chelsea appointed Benny as interim first-team boss until the 2012-2013 season, following Roberto Di Matteo's dismissal, the team's departure. At a press conference on November 22, 2012, Chelsea's new manager was unveiled as the new Chelsea boss. Boudewijn Zenden was named Chelsea's next assistant manager on the same day.

Given Ben'tez' ties with Liverpool and remarks he had previously made about Chelsea, he was unpopular at his first home game, a 0–0 draw with Manchester City on November 25, 2012, the match was initially unpopular with many Chelsea fans, and he received a "most hostile reception" as he was welcomed at his first home game, a 0–0 draw with Manchester City. A 0–0 draw at home to Fulham was followed by a 3–1 loss to West Ham. Bentez won his first match as Chelsea boss on December 5, 2012, beating Nordsjlland 6–1. Chelsea won despite the fact that they did not progress beyond the group stage of the tournament. This was followed by a 3–1 home victory over Sunderland, with Bentez presiding over his first league victory as Chelsea's boss.

Chelsea defeated Montere 3–1 to advance to the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2012, where they were defeated 1–0 by Brazilian side Corinthians. Chelsea beat Leeds United 5-1 at Elland Road and then beat Aston Villa 8–0, tying their first-flight triumph. The underdogs Swansea City 2–0 on aggregate defeated them 1–0 at home to 20th-placed Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League and were eventually disqualified from the league Cup semi-finals by underdogs Swansea City 2–0 on aggregate.

Following a 2–0 victory over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth round, Bentez and the Chelsea board were strongly chastised by Chelsea's fans, who also rebranded him "interim boss" and blamed Chelsea for their marches against him on February 27, 2013. He also confirmed that he would leave the team at the end of the season. He rated his Chelsea co-owner Roman Abramovich as "exemplary" and expressed his desire to remain Chelsea manager until the end of the season. Chelsea's results remained mixed, and at one point Chelsea found themselves 16 points behind league leaders Manchester United, despite being just four points behind when Bentez was announced. Chelsea reached the FA Cup semi-finals by defeating 2–1 to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium and then progressed to the final of the UEFA Europa League. Chelsea defeated Aston Villa 2–1, a game in which Frank Lampard set the all-time scoring record at Chelsea, in the penultimate league game of the season. With the victory, we secured a top-four finish and a spot in the Champions League next season.

Chelsea defeated Benfica 2–1 in the Europa League final against Benfica on May 15th. Bentez was just the second manager after Giovanni Tratoni to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League with two different clubs, and Chelsea became the fourth team in Britain to have won all three major European trophies. Bentez was credited with making important changes at halftime, according to defender David Luiz, "He changed some of our positions in the second half." We did better and gained the championship because of this. He spoke to us a lot about how to change the intensity." "Rafa told us we should aim to the far post because Artur's poorest place was in that game," Juan Mata said on the winning goal scored by Branislav Ivanovia. "I just tried to throw the ball there, and Ivanovic did the rest," I said.

Bentez's last competitive game as Chelsea boss, Bentez, led the team to a 2–1 victory over Everton, guaranteeing a third-place finish in the Premier League and a spot in the Champions League group stage next season. After the match, Benitez did not participate in the lap of honour, but many fans expressed their admiration for his efforts during the season, a stark contrast to the hostile reception he attended before.

Bentez had signed for Napoli, according to its boss Walter Mazzarri, who had resigned on May 27. After meeting club president Aurelio De Laurentiis in London, Bentez decided on a two-year deal.

Bentez led the team to victory in the Coppa Italia, beating Fiorentina 3–1 in the final and then into the Europa League's last 16 after a 3–2 aggregate loss to Porto. In 2013–14, Napoli finished third in Serie A, qualifying for the next season's Champions League. Athletic Bilbao defeated them 4–2 on aggregate in the qualifying stages, effectively entering the Europa League.

Bentez revealed that he would resign at the end of the 2014–15 season. His last game was a 4–2 loss to Lazio, who took the final place in the Champions League at Napoli's expense.

Bentez was named as the new Real Madrid boss on June 3rd, five-year deal. Real Madrid remained unbeaten in the league until a 3–2 loss at Sevilla in the 11th matchday. In the first Clásico of the season against Barcelona, a 4–0 home loss was followed by a 4–0 loss. Real later competed in the Copa del Rey round of 32, winning away 3-1 in the first leg. The second leg was postponed, but Madrid was disqualified for playing an ineligible player. Real also dominated their UEFA Champions League group with 16 points.

Following allegations of unpopularity with followers, dissatisfaction with players, and a failure to get good results against top teams, Bentez's deal was terminated on January 4th, 2016. Real were third in La Liga at the time of his suspension, four points behind leaders Atlético Madrid and two points behind arch-rivals Barcelona, the latter of whom had a game in hand.

Bentez was appointed as the head of relegation at Newcastle United on September 11, 2016, an extension to a three-year contract. He lost 1–0 away to eventual champions Leicester City in his first match as coach, losing 1–0 away on March 14th. In the Premier League, Bentez will have to wait until April 16th for his first victory in charge of The Magpies, defeating Swansea City 3–0.

Newcastle ended the season with a six-match undefeated streak, with a 5–1 victory over third-place Tottenham Hotspur. However, the team was relegated to the Championship due to rivals Sunderland's claiming 12 points from their final six fixtures. On May 25, the company reported that it would retain him as the boss.

Newcastle won the 2016–17 EFL Championship and returned to the Premier League in May 2017 after just one season in the Championship.

Newcastle reported on June 24th that Bentez would step down as Manager after his deal came to an end, and he left the club on June 30, 2019. Following Ben's departure, Ashley attacked him, saying that Bentez's demands made it impossible for him to serve as manager. However, in an interview with The Athletic in December 2020, Bentez said he was left with no choice but to leave the role due to internal tensions with Ashley, describing him as "a businessman who I don't care about his team."

Bentez, the former Dalian Yifang manager, was appointed manager of Chinese Super League team Dalian Professional (formerly Dalian Yifang), in a two-and-a-half contract on July 2nd. Bentez departed the club by mutual consent on January 23, 2021, citing fears over his family's safety and wellbeing as a cause for his departure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 30, 2021, Bentez was named as the manager of Everton, the Premier League's third season, replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who left to join Real Madrid. He had been a victim of assaults from a group of Everton supporters who protested his appointment and left a banner outside his house, reading: "We know where you live." Don't sign." Since William Edward Barclay's 1890s, Benitez is the second person to head both Liverpool and Everton.

Everton's first four games saw them win streaks in both the Premier League and EFL Cup. Southampton beat Southampton 3–1. He won his first league game in charge. This triumph was followed by a 2–2 draw at Leeds United, a 2–1 victory over Huddersfield in the EFL Cup, and a 2–0 victory over Brighton in the Premier League. Benitez was nominated for the Manager of the Month award after an unbeaten run.

Everton's form slowed in the coming months, with Benitez stripped of his duties after a 2–1 loss at Carrow Road in January 2022, just six points above the relegation zone, having lost nine games in the last three months. Benitez became the fifth Everton boss to lose his position in less than six years after being fired.

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