Rafael Benitez – Liverpool F.C. Manager
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Rafael “Rafa” Benítez (born April 16, 1960) is a Spanish former footballer and has been the manager of English club Liverpool since June 2004. He has previously managed Valencia CF and five other La Liga teams. Benítez became the most successful Valencia CF manager in their history after just three seasons in charge. In 2002, he led the club to their first La Liga title since 1971, and in 2004 he led the club to a La Liga/UEFA Cup double. In 2005 he guided Liverpool to victory in the UEFA Champions League and the European Super Cup and in 2006 he led them to victory in the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. Benítez became only the third manager, after Bob Paisley and José Mourinho, to win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons. He is also the first manager to achieve this with two different clubs. He became the second Liverpool manager, after Joe Fagan, to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in his first season in charge. Throughout his career Benítez has also won several individual awards. He was awarded Manager of the Year titles by both Don Balón and El País in 2002 while at Valencia CF and was named Madrid Coach of the Year for 2005 by Seven Stars Sport.
Personal information
Full name : Rafael Benítez Maudes
Date of birth : 16 April 1960 (1960-04-16) (age 48)
Place of birth : Madrid, Spain
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position : Midfielder[1]
2008 Current club : Liverpool (manager)
Personal life
Rafael Benítez Maudes was born on April 16, 1960, into a middle-class Madrid family. His father, Francisco Benítez, worked as a hotelier. His mother is Rosario Maudes. Rosario was a big football fan and supported Real Madrid, while his father supported Atletico Madrid. Francisco died in December 2005 while Benítez was in Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship. He is the second of three children. His older brother, also called Francisco, was born in 1959, while his younger sister, called Rosario, was born several years later. Both studied veterinary science and Rosario later became a vet. In 1998, Benítez married his wife, Maria de Montserrat, a Doctor of Law, born in Ourense. They have two daughters, Claudia, who was born in Madrid in 1999, and Ágata who was born in Valencia in 2002.
Source: Rafael Benitez, Liverpool Football Club Manager, English Barclays Premier League Football Club information at wikipedia.org