5 things that led to Real Madrid sacking Rafael Benitez

Rafa Benitez time at the Bernabeu finally ran out as he was sacked after half a season in chargeLess than seven months is all it took for Real Madrid to dispense with Rafael Benitez’s services. Or more accurately, for Florentino Perez to push the panic button once again.No sooner did Perez relieve Carlo Ancelotti – statistically the best Real manager in history – of his duties, then he has fired a man who has lost just three games out of 25, winning 17. A man who has supervised a side who have scored 24 goals in the last five games, and who started off with seven clean sheets in his first eight games.And he has replaced him with a manager with no top flight experience in Zinedine Zidane. Work that one out!Let’s take a look at five things that led to Benitez’s tenure being cut short at the Santiago Bernabeu.

#1 Training ground tempers

From the very earliest moments of his tenure as manager, it was clear that Benitez’s authoritarian style was never going to sit well with some of the egos in the dressing room. Steven Gerard had famously once noted that the then Liverpool manager did not do compliments or give players the arm-around-the-shoulder treatment, even going as far as to say he was cold on occasion.

Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t the happiest in training when made to work on certain other aspects that perhaps his “friend” Ancelotti had allowed to drift. The Portuguese’s verbal insults were caught on video and told anyone watching much as to how the status quo was playing out on the training pitch.

James Rodriguez was another to voice his discontent and others could be seen to not be placing as much emphasis on the training pitch as perhaps they should have. Players that cost a not insignificant amount of money don’t forget.

The lack of support for his manager by the president at that point suggested that even at that early stage there were going to be problems.

#2 Sevilla, Shakhtar and the dreaded vote of confidence

Either side of the Clasico came a defeat to Sevilla and what should have been a simple Champions League victory at Shakhtar Donetsk turning into a nightmare. The latter was a game in which Real still emerged victorious, but after being 4-0 up with 13 minutes left, letting in three more goals for the third game in a row showed everyone that there were clear divisions within the squad towards their manager.

Players were even voicing their opinions to the media rather than in private – guaranteed to hit a nerve with the president. With rumours rife of a sacking at that point, Perez defiantly came out to say that Benitez wasn’t the problem but actually the solution.

“The solution to this is Rafa Benitez,” Perez had said. “We signed him to turn things around. We think he is the right person.”

The dreaded vote of confidence just 42 days before Benitez was sent packing. Incredible from the board of directors and Perez.

#3 El Clasico capitulation

If there are two fixtures above all others in every season that Real expect to win it is the Clasicos against Barcelona. There is no doubting that the Catalans have had the lion’s share of wins in the recent past and perhaps Benitez was expected to reverse a worrying trend.

The writing was on the wall before the game had even begun. It had become common knowledge that Perez had insisted that James Rodriguez had to play rather than Benitez’s preferred choice of Casemiro. The latter had been in imperious form and there was no need to tinker with the formation. In so doing, Perez had effectively thrown Benitez to the wolves.

A 4-0 capitulation was actually flattering to the hosts. Barcelona were so good that even if it was more than four goals, no one would have said that the Blaugrana weren’t worth the win.

Suggestions that Real had stopped trying were abundant. Unforgivable from the playing staff, but the manager is left to pick up the pieces.

#4 Not getting along with Ronaldo

Benitez’s problems were only exacerbated when he refused to name Ronaldo as the best player in the world. When asked the question by journalists, he responded truthfully and said that he was “one of the best”.

It is hard to imagine that the manager would have got anything like the effort required by his once most expensive player from that point onwards. It is not as if it was said maliciously, far from it, in fact. But the spin put on it by the media left Benitez hanging out to dry.

In November, Ronaldo had also reportedly said that Real Madrid would win nothing under Rafael Benitez. Without knowing just how much influence the Portuguese star wields in the dressing room, could his fractured relationship with the Spanish boss have influenced his colleagues to lose confidence in their manager?

It has happened at various clubs before. Look at Chelsea this season – a completely different team under Guus Hiddink.

#5 2-2 draw at Valencia

The 2-2 draw against Valencia was what brought the final curtain down on Benitez’s short career. In actual fact, Real didn’t play that bad at Mestalla. It wasn’t perhaps vintage Madrid but Los Blancos were, at least, competitive in all areas of the pitch, characterised by Mateo Kovacic’s sending off for a direct red card.

At 2-1 up following Gareth Bale’s stunning header, Benitez should have ensured that his team shut shop. But a goal less than a minute after put paid to that.

The result means that if Barcelona win their game in hand, the Catalan club will be five points ahead of their eternal rivals and Perez can obviously see yet another La Liga title slipping away from Real, despite another incredible financial investment from the president.

By employing Zidane now, the Frenchman has a full transfer window to wheel and deal in. Name one player anywhere that won’t want to play for the maestro? He will command rather than demand respect but time will tell if it is just another poor decision by the man at the top.