In an interview with BT Sport, Rafa Benitez opened up about the complications of working under the high-pressure conditions at Real Madrid. Benitez was sacked after just seven months in charge of Los Blancos, despite losing just three times while at the helm.
"You have to do everything perfect," Benitez told Gary Lineker. "As soon as something is wrong, or the chairman thinks something is wrong, then you start having problems."
Rafa and Perez: Happier times. Photo: @footballespana_ | Twitter
Real Madrid Chairman Florentino Perez is a divisive figure to say the least. He has sacked eight managers in his two spells with the club, only two of which have lasted longer than two seasons (Jose Mourinho and Vicente del Bosque).
The sacking of Carlo Ancelotti and the appointment of Rafa Benitez raised a lot of eyebrows, especially after Ancelotti secured the precious tenth European crown---"La Decima." Yet he could not secure the league title, and that is something Perez does not suffer lightly.
Winning La Decima wasn't enough to save Ancelotti. Photo: @Net_RealMadrid | Twitter
"To win the league, you have to be consistent. You have to fight against Barcelona, and Barcelona has a style of football, a model of football." said Benitez. "Real Madrid is changing managers every year so you have to start again. That is the reason why Real Madrid has won one league title in the last seven."
The lack of consistency from Perez has caused some serious discontent among Real Madrid fans, some of whom want him out. The candidness of Benitez's interview reveals a culture behind-the-scenes of obsessive control by Perez that most believe to be a hinderance to the club. While most people didn't put too much faith in Rafa's permanency at Real Madrid, it still boggles the mind that Perez can pull the plug even when a manager is doing relatively well.
"I was sad," said Benitez. "You could see that the players – they are really, really very competitive, good professionals. So, to see that you couldn't control things in the way that you like to do it, and then to improve the team as a team, so it's a little bit frustrating."
Now, it is Zinedine Zidane's turn. He is a favorite of Perez and a legend of the club, but using history as judge, it may not be enough to save him either.
Ancelotti doesn't look too optimistic about his chances. Photo: @FaktaRMCF | Twitter
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