Rafa Benitez's wife jokes about him joining Real Madrid to clean Jose Mourinho's mess
Rafael Benitez has spent his entire professional career clearing up the mess left behind by Jose Mourinho, joked the wife of the Real Madrid coach. The two high-profile managers have never been the best of friends ever since their Premier League days, but their rivalry is one of the most entertaining in world football.
The current Real Madrid coach has followed Jose Mourinho’s footsteps in managing Inter Milan, Chelsea and now Real Madrid, although he succeeded the Portuguese directly only at Inter Milan.
Benitez’s wife Monserrat Seara was speaking with Spanish newspaper La Region and said, "Real Madrid are the third of Jose Mourinho's old teams Rafa has coached. We tidy up his messes. If you think about it, of course, you end up crossing paths. There are only a few world-class clubs out there."
Football is Benitez’s passion, says wife
Seara also provided an insight into the mind of one of the most dedicated managers in the game, who has managed many top level clubs including the likes of Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Napoli.
"On our first date, Rafa explained to me what a 4-4-2 was. He finds it hard to stay away from the game. The year we spent at home he helped coach the local school team. It was hilarious. He stood on the sidelines and shouted at them as if they were first division players, waving his arms about. He doesn't see football as work, it's his passion,” she said while speaking to La Region.
"Sometimes I ask him, who's going to play? He says he doesn't know yet. They criticised him at Liverpool for constantly tweaking his starting XI. I thought his two best friends in England were going to kill him," she was further quoted as saying by La Region.
Benitez was named as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor ahead of the new season, after the Italian was sacked for a trophy-less season. The Spaniard was managing Napoli in the Serie A for the past couple of years, and despite significant investment and impressive performances in the Europa League, he left the club after he failed to lead them to a Champions League spot.
The former Liverpool manager signed a three-year deal with the club, and has received the complete backing of the Real Madrid hierarchy ahead of the new season. He is expected to win the treble this season after the Los Blancos missed out on all three major trophies last season.