#4 Rafael Benitez – Serie A to Premier League
After his departure from Liverpool, Rafael Benitez joined the treble-winning Inter Milan team and led them to two trophies. Benitez demanded that he be allowed to make new signings which he believed would be beneficial for the club. However, the Inter board refused to allow that and relations between the two became sour.
The former Valencia and Liverpool manager’s team slumped in the league and were sixth in Serie A in December. On 23rd December, the Spanish manager was sacked by the Inter board.
It seemed that Benitez’s managerial life was in the doldrums, but the Spaniard got a golden opportunity in the Premier League when was appointed as interim coach of Chelsea in 2012. Despite the fans being extremely hostile towards him, the Spanish manager did not lose hope and led the Blues to Europa League victory. Unfortunately for him, this was not enough to warrant a permanent position and Benitez had to walk away.
Benitez then moved to Italian club, Napoli, where he had a good season, however, after Napoli missed out on Champions League, the manager resigned and was hired by Real Madrid in June 2015. His stay at Los Blancos was a dismal one as the club ended third in La Liga. Real Madrid parted ways with Rafael Benitez in rather unceremonious fashion, soon after.
Things looked dreary for Benitez, and he made a move back to England and signed for relegation-threatened Newcastle United. His appointment came too late and the club was relegated that very season. But Benitez decided to stick with them and he has been crucial in Newcastle’s success in the Championship. The Magpies currently are frontrunners for promotion and lead the table.
