Rafael Benítez Maudes was born on April 16, 1960, in Madrid, Spain, to Francisco Benítez and Rosario Maudes. His father owned a hotel and passed away in December 2005 while Benítez was in Japan for the FIFA Club World Championship. His mother has been a strong supporter of both his career and the Real Madrid football team. Benítez attended the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where he graduated in 1982 with a degree in physical education.
Benítez began his football career in 1979 when he joined Spain’s Under-19 national team. That same year, he represented his country at the World Student Games held in Mexico. In one match, he scored a penalty during a resounding 10–0 victory over Cuba. Unfortunately, in the following match against Canada, he sustained an injury that sidelined him for a year, ultimately disrupting his progress as a player.
In 1986, Benítez began his coaching career by joining the staff at Real Madrid. He served as assistant manager for the senior team and soon took on a head coaching role with Castilla B, Real Madrid’s reserve team. Under his leadership, the team secured two league titles in 1987 and 1989. He also contributed as an assistant coach for Real Madrid B, helping the squad to another league title in 1990. However, his time at Real Valladolid as head coach during the 1995–1996 season was challenging, with the team securing only two wins in 23 matches.
In 2001, Benítez was appointed head coach of Valencia. He achieved significant success during the 2003–04 season, guiding the team to the La Liga title and victory in the UEFA Cup. Following this successful stint, Benítez left Valencia and accepted a managerial role with Liverpool, becoming the first Spaniard to manage in the Premier League.
| Net Worth 2021: | 30 million |
