Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudesis a Spanish football coach currently managing Newcastle United. He is the only manager in history to have won the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup...
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth16 April 1960
CityMadrid, Spain
continued created difficult game goal second
It was a difficult game because we created a lot of opportunities, but we never scored the second goal so they continued going forward.
condition control decide game good physical plays second start whether
But he may not have the physical condition to play at this level. He is a good passer and can control a game and we have to decide whether he plays from the start or just the second half.
crowded decisive final half middle park pass second
The final pass wasn't there in decisive moments. In the second half they crowded the middle of the park and we didn't have much in the way of chances.
finish maybe second winning
If we keep winning then we will finish third, with the possibility of maybe second - so we will keep going to the end.
finish moment season second thinking
If we finish second it will be fantastic, but very difficult. At the moment I am not thinking about statistics, only that we finish the season well.
afford cannot finish goal needed opposition ourselves second
There was a nervousness there and we've put ourselves under pressure. When you are not scoring, you cannot afford to give the opposition one or two chances. We needed that second goal to finish the game.
closer fight game move next second win
My idea is to think about the next game and if you win the next game we can move closer and fight for the second place.
clean game goal good kept relaxed second team
The two forwards scored in this game which is good for the team. The second goal relaxed the team and it's important that we kept a clean sheet.
champions manager players playing sign
It is important for the manager to be able to say to players they want to sign that they will be playing in the Champions League.
central defender saying sign
As I keep saying I want to sign a central defender and not a forward.
details difference maybe penalty small
The small details are the difference and maybe we should have had a penalty or even two penalties.
losing
If you play in the final, it's for winning, not for losing
champions everybody fans league
It's very important for the club, the manager, the fans and everybody to be in the Champions League at this stage.
ability deep good key normal player spaces
He's a good player and when you play deep with spaces and you have pace and ability it's normal that you can play well. But for me the key was the first 20 minutes.