Exclusive | Rafael Benítez on Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez and Zinedine Zidane

In one of his first interviews since being sacked as Real Madrid manager, Rafael Benítez candidly opens up about life at the Bernabéu, Florentino Pérez and Zinedine Zidane.
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[@acecream1411]

Since he said that Real Madrid has won 10 titles in 3 years including 3 Champions League trophies while Barcelona won 7

[@yazanmujahed7357]

Hes dumb

[@rikeshshrestha7mail]

Ace Cream but all under one manager Zidane. In one way he is right consistency

[@AhmedMahmoud-sq7xg]

@@rikeshshrestha7mail exactly

[@JubalBed]

Ancelotti should still be Real Madrid manager. As a Barca fan I was a little relieved when he was sacked.

[@anfibisimo]

he never beat barsa. he won a champions league because his first year in real madrid because the players were competitive with mourinho the year before and there were no problems in the locker room. but his second year players started to let go

[@shifty277]

+anfibisimo well said i agree

[@miguuuuu]

+anfibisimo actually we beat barca twice under Ance. Copa finale 2014 and 3-1 win in Santiago Bernabeu (La Liga)

[@TheCyanPhoenix]

+anfibisimo The players didnt let go. The year Madrid won CL, Luka Modric was the brain in that midfield. Most never realised nor mention his name because is always freaking Ronaldo here and there. However the croatian was the catalyst, providing a different dynamic when the team attacked and his work rate helped when defending. Then he got injured twice the following season. He probably only played for half a season overall, unfit and never at 100%. Di Maria and Xabi Alonso also left after winning CL. It was never Ancelotti's fault.

[@flowzolophyx5465]

+Miika Myllymäki Anceloti lost 3 EL CASICOS against Barca !! First game in el clasico Barca won( 2-1 Neymar,Sanchez Goals) Real Madrid 3 - 4 Barcelona won in bernabeu☺ ! Barca won in camp nou 2-1 Rma. Mathieu and Suarez goals..COMPLETLY Real Madrid in Anceloti's ERA lost 3 TIMES agains Barca and won just 2 times 😆😉 This means Barca is the Only problem for Real Madrid like benitez said 😉

[@jazzypom]

I love you, Rafa!

[@yazanmujahed7357]

Hes dumbass

[@mrsoftnessful]

Rafa Benitez deserves another chance at a good club. I always rated him as a manager.

[@snarkey5]

people forget this man won with liverpool IN barcelona

[@1fckoff2]

but lost 4-0 with real madrid at barcelona

[@kenzo3005]

+1fckoff2 4-0* u twat!

[@ryan-fd7oh]

To the best front 3 of all time, there's no shame in that

[@johnnyleaf788]

+snarkey5 I like Raffa,always have,he is a good manager.

[@detnemt9571]

@@ryan-fd7oh There is, because Zidane won 2-1 away to Barcelona 4 months later.

[@iTube22100]

What a nice person

[@alvarodas5601]

As Madridista i am really sad about this. I am not saying Benitez is the optimum manager for Real Madrid, it is a difficult team with lot of egos, but he is a real madridista since he was a child and he deserved much more respect! If you come again to Bernabeu, I will clap you Benitez! HALA MADRID

[@archieclements1225]

Can't wait for game tonight

[@pelonloc]

hahah this clown, you were fired because players lost confidence in you even Modric who is a gentleman had problems with Benitez.

[@onevika9534]

+Pelon Loc Dude listen to what he said though. I mean Benitez was not great by any means but now we have some context as to why that might have been. As soon as Perez heard the Fans chanting for him to go what he immediately did fire Benitez to "Calm the waters" You know over the years the only ones that get 90% of the blame are the coaches but never the President. I think Perez is the real problem of the institution but silences anyone who might want him out by 1 of 2 things. He either fires the head coach or buys an 80 million plus star in the summer.

[@donelmediterraneo8626]

The truth has been spoken

[@anish.r.j1555]

I do really hope Real Madrid fans actually see that the problem of RM was not entirely Rafa Benítez. Yes he may made some mistakes, but overall Real Madrid have 2 major problems as to why (in my opinon) they are not as successful in the last couple of years. #1 Biggest problem: Florentino Pérez (Commercially he is amazing, but for the football to change, he is not the right man). #2 Obviously: FC Barcelona

[@anfibisimo]

and 3: players who are paid 20 million a year and think they are the owners of the team. and a shit captain (ramos), who instead of being a proffesional, asks the chairman to sack any manager he is not comfortable with or makes the players train harder (happened with mourinho and benitez)

[@bektaskeldibayev2146]

@@anfibisimo come again lol

[@zanerane]

@@anfibisimo Uh😅

[@amitdas3110AD]

Say what???

[@Batmanthe3rd]

King Rafa ⚫️⚪️

[@imablowfish]

For Real Madrid,everything has been great since then.I wish things were better and he could have won something with us but the separation was for the good of the club but unfair to Benitez.He is Madrid born and was part of Castilla as a player.Everyone felt that he didn’t respect the players and club enough.

[@mariusstrmglendrange2411]

Just a LITTLE bit… I can imagine Mr !!

[@thecat4272]

I don't understand Benitez. He did an amazing job at Valencia and Liverpool, then had a disaster at Milan. Did pretty well at Chelsea under very difficult circumstances, then seemed to under perform at Napoli (who are challenging for the title after he left). Then the short reign at Madrid. If you ask me (and looking at his history), it's all about finding the club that fits with his style. Wrong club and he's going to struggle. He should never have taken that Madrid job. It's managerial merry go round whilst Perez is constantly interfering.

[@victorsoriano74]

Benitez is just mad to see Real Madrid doing so well without him it's obvious that zidane has a better relationship with the players as well because he understands them so piss off rafa Benitez #RealPorLaUnDecima

[@kaiwerring6853]

+NIkesonmyfeet He wasn't even mad. If anything he was very professional. I agree Zidane has a better relationship with the players, but I'm sure that will only last so long. Real Madrid have great players, a man manager, but no consistency. They may be winning, but I don't believe they will remain consistent and challenge for big titles. Talent can get you only so far, tactics and proper coaching will get you the rest. (I am not saying Benitez has that, but I don't think Zidane does yet either)

[@snm1044]

+NIkesonmyfeet How are they doing well lol?

[@55TheOracle55]

Back to back Champions League trophies plus a La Liga sounds pretty amazing doesn't it?

[@thedeerhunter8375]

@@kaiwerring6853 This comment didn't age well

[@kaiwerring6853]

@@thedeerhunter8375 haha true! But I do believe Zidane gained a lot throughout the years. I was just speaking of his initial education and 'pedigree'. But ultimately ya, I was wrong!

[@nii9830]

HAHAHAHAHAHAH Barcelona is winning and winning.He's changing because he's trying to find solution but Barcelona is still winning and they're winning more.

[@CM2yv]

+lovelace cofie I hope Barca continue to wipe the floor with Real Madrid, that is what the RM fans and Perez deserve

[@vervain8564]

+Chris H How do RM fans deserve this? Honestly Barca fans are so annoying :/

[@onevika9534]

+lovelace cofie Perez is the real problem. He is very good at making it seem as if the blame is always the coaches and never his own. As Benitez said, as a brand Real Madrid has become mega rich and all but in terms of football winning 1 league in 7 (Probably 8 years) and 1 Champions in 14 years in simply pathetic.

[@Effigyy]

+Onevika Yes, there's the problem. Benitez highlighted it. Perez is a businessman, albeit a wasteful one at that. He fails to transfer his business success into success of the team. It took them over one and a half billion spent to get their tenth CL. for a club as wealthy and resourceful it is a bit of a warning sign that something is not being done right. they've failed to conquer Liga too, they just consistently fail to put up a fight on all fronts.

[@Effigyy]

That's not really rivalry. That's autistic children flinging feces at each other. Rivalries are had by people who attend the games, not by people who write angry comments at each other on the internet.

[@AndTon95]

100 % agree

[@Picos_Pardos]

Benítez, la plantilla te hizo la cama, es injusto lo que te hicieron, sólo decirte, como madridista, que lo siento y que no estoy para nada de acuerdo con la decisión que se tomó, y como español te deseo lo mejor, porque te lo mereces. Un saludo.

[@Luis-om8yx]

MCclao2008 dos años después te has dado cuenta ya de que eres un pipero??

[@rustam3258]

Who's that? Rio Ferdinand next to him?

[@TheDrillFather]

Yes and Michael owen the cunt

[@mutalemalama]

Yeah, and Owen on the other side

[@rustam3258]

+The Drill Father Of seems that Rio Ferdinand want to punch Benitez))

[@brownrabbithd4123]

Well thats true our president is just shit but i never like benitez tactics.I think madrid should given anceloti another chance.He was a great manager.But now it past now we have zidane who is doing great job.He has confidence in his players and praises them on good performence.Maybe it will take some time but i think he is gonna be a great manager

[@quickfix974]

spot on . same thing is happening at chelsea. every year different manager . that's why the kids don't get to play

[@henryjanuardo144]

He destroy madrid and inter, amazing

[@omarcito2]

Benitez es a couch for smalls teams.Real was to big for him,Ifeel sorry about him.Better as a comentator

[@nayz-]

Rafa #YNWA

[@donvitocorleone6443]

Rafa was good but he wasn't acceptable to the players, they didn't communicate very well, rafa is like that math teacher so it's simple if i didn't like u I'll not play with my soul to u

[@enriquesaez1996]

Not true. Football is like the economy, cyclical. that is it

[@al3sssl]

اكبر معلم سباكة مر على تاريخ ريال مدريد.. فكه منك

[@fcb3338]

Visca Barca.

[@Abdullah9110]

Benitez talking as he is Ancelotti an shit

[@markgable101]

You don't really need a football manager at a club like real Madrid. Just a pr figure to keep in the media eye. Someone like sylvester stallone could manage real Madrid.

[@sadcommunity]

so basically real Madrid have a problem they cant solve .. and that's Fc barca lol

[@wahmeister666]

No, it's called not having a consistent coach, therefore too many system and tactics changes ans adjustments with each new coach, also too many egos. So while they are fucking around with that nonsense..Barca sit in their comfortable established tactics and system. Not rocket science to figure out...

[@glamoonsan6691]

problem solved homie

[@carloromano21]

This is really pitiful..I'll tell you why you were sacked son...YOU GOT ROCKED 4-0 vs FCB...you can't do that son, plus we played like crap under you, it was horrible to watch us play, felt as if i was watching stoke city play that bullshit kick and rush football...HORRIBLE. Also, within your first 6 months you never managed to beat a top team, we tied vs atleti, lost vs barca, lost vs sevilla, you got lucky vs PSG, at home but they completely outplayed us. Your tactics are outdated, the fans saw this and CORRECTLY asked for your resignation. Had we kept you we would've most definitely lost vs Roma today.

[@martinwright970]

+Giancarlo Albertini Did you know Benitez has a high win rate in the Champions League than either Mourinho or Ancellotti? He would have won easily against Roma if he was still here. The loss against Barca was bad but both Jose and Carlo also had big losses as bad as that.

[@JustMyOpinion05]

Benitez is deluded, Real Madrid were shocking under him , no midfield and just defending defending defending thinking he is managing Getafe. He then builds the team around Bale and neglects Ronaldo. Benitez did a poor job , anyone thinking otherwise is deluded.

[@musiclover25901]

Ronald's going to eventually drop off and Bale is basically supposed to be his replacement. You think Messi would be complaint if he was 30 and the squad was being built around Neymar??

[@JustMyOpinion05]

musiclover25901 that's not the point, why neglect a player who is officially the second best in the world behind Messi and scores 50 goals a year. Is Ronaldo stats showing signs of decay? Nope so there is no need to show him the disrespect as Benitez has. Zidane comes in , puts Ronaldo back as focal point and look ronaldo is playing as good as ever

[@davidareia]

Yeah yeah, everything related to Real Madrid is the worst and the brittish teams are the best. However, CURIOUSLY, Real Madrid has almost as many champions as all the british teams COMBINED; and they've won 4 in the last 20 years....So, MAYBE, Real Madrid is not doing that bad xD

[@efremroldan]

This guy is a good trainer, but not for a team like Real Madrid, Bayern or Barça. In these teams like he said you have to do it perfect: At least one title and the good and expensive players must play, and play well. If not, manager´s fault. Luis Enrique was "out" of Barça in the middle of the past season. And Guardiola has been criticized since the first day in Bayern. It´s not only Real Madrid, Florentino and Real Madrid fans. Florentino´s only mistake was kicking out Carlo and signing you. Btw: Real Madrid fan and glad Rafa is out of here. See how we played with Ancelotti before Xabi Alonso and Di María, and now with Zidane. How can you try to build a counter team with possesion midfielders like Kroos, James and Modric? And Bale in the hole! The only good thing this guy made was signing Kovačić.