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(Sports Focus) Real Madrid confirm Rafa Bentiez as new coach

Xinhua, June 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Real Madrid on Wednesday confirmed Rafael Benitez as the successor of Carlo Ancelotti as first team coach.

Benitez has agreed a three-year contract at a reported four million (4.4 million US dollars) euros a season to return to the club where he began his career and become the 10th coach to be appointed by Perez during Perez' s 12 and a half years as club President.

He no doubt knows the size of the task ahead after Ancelotti was sacked just a year after winning the Spanish Cup and the much desired '10th' Champions League of the club's history.

The 55-year-old only played his football at lower levels and was forced to hang up his boots through injury aged just 25 and moved into coaching.

His first job was with the Real Madrid youth system, before a short and unsuccessful spell with Valladolid, which saw him sacked after just two wins in 23 matches.

His also failed at Osasuna but his third job saw him lead small town club, Extremadura to an unlikely promotion to the Primera Liga and earned him a job at Valencia.

It was here he made his name, winning the UEFA Cup and two league titles, beating the Real Madrid of the 'Galacticos', David Beckham, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in the process.

Benitez, who had studied coaching in England, then joined Liverpool and led them to the Champions League title in 2005 following a fightback from 3-0 down and a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

He was unable to lead the club to a much desired league title, however, and joined Inter Milan, where he was not a success.

Benitez recovered prestige with Chelsea, overcoming open hostility from the fans to guide them to the Europa League and qualification for the Champions league in 2013.

His last job was at Napoli, who he led to the Italian Cup and the semi-finals of this season's Europa League.

He is known as a methodical coach who is tactically aware, but ruthless in his willingness to sell players he believes are no longer useful. The Spaniard has also been criticized for not bringing forward young players, although that is hardly a priority at title hungry Madrid. Endi