Florentino Perez has officially drawn the curtains on Benitezai??i??s era at Real Madrid as he replaced the Spaniard with Zinedine Zidane in the dug-out. Real Madridai??i??s 2-2 draw against Benitezai??i??s former club proved to be the final nail in his coffin as the club terminated his contract just seven months after his appointment.
As reported by Goal.com, Florentino Perez officially appointed Zinedine Zidane as the head coach at Real Madrid. Benitezai??i??s Real Madrid is currently languishing in the third spot on the table, sitting 4 points below league leaders Atletico Madrid.
Yet another sacking at Real Madrid
Florentino Perez welcomed Zinedine Zidane to take control of the first team as Real Madrid hope to resurrect their flagging campaign this season.
“I am here to say that the board has just decided, in a difficult decision, especially for me, to end contract of Rafa as first-team coach.
“He (Zidane) is one of the greatest players of all time. Zinedine, this is your club, your stadium and you have all our support. Zidane you are, from this moment, the trainer of Real Madrid.a
Rafael Benitez: Destined to fail at Real Madrid
Some would argue that Rafael Benitez was destined to fail at Real Madrid. The Spaniard took over the reins from Carlo Ancelotti who was unceremoniously dumped despite leading Real Madrid to their tenth Champions League trophy. A favourite with the players, this dismissal ensured that Benitez inherited a squad that wasnai??i??t entirely pleased with his presence in the dug-out.
Burdened with the responsibility to integrate Gareth Bale in a more prominent role, Benitez immediately clashed with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez which further jeopardized his position at the club. Unlike Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, Benitez wasnai??i??t allowed to spend money in the summer transfer market which perhaps spoke about a trust deficit between the President and the manager.
While Florentino Perez publicly backed Rafael Benitez in the wake of a 4-0 loss against Barcelona, his own image at the club took a hit following Ancelottiai??i??s dismissal. The President was criticised for the manner in which Iker Casillas was forced to leave the club this summer. This was followed by his inability to bring David de Gea to Real Madrid as the transfer negotiations with Manchester United collapsed during the dying minutes of the transfer window. Though the President was quick to shift the blame on United, the fans and those in the Board were left wondering as to why the negotiations for the clubai??i??s most high-profile transfer target was delayed in the first place. Real Madridai??i??s bewildering dismissal from the Copa del Rey has further raised questions regarding the Presidentai??i??s ability to steer the club in the near future.
Is Perez looking to please the crowd at Bernabeu?
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While Real Madridai??i??s decision to sack Rafael Benitez can be debated back and forth, the presidentai??i??s decision to replace the Spaniard with a club legend therefore, could be interpreted as an attempt to please the fans at Santiago Bernabeu. If his decision to remove Carlo Ancelotti was a statement of intent, Benitezai??i??s removal is an opportunity to make up ground with the fans and the players alike.
While Florentino Perez had already lost the support of the fans following Ancelottiai??i??s dismissal, he ran the risk of losing the support of the dressing room in the wake of Benitezai??i??s controversial appointment. Both Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo recently slammed the president as Real Madrid stumbled from one controversy to another. Zidaneai??i??s appointment is likely to calm the nerves in the dressing room and could eventually repair the presidentai??i??s relationship with the crucial members of the squad.
The fact that Benitez had reportedly lost the support of the dressing room, could only have made Perezai??i??s decision easier. As the president brings down the axe on yet another manager at Real Madrid, it seems that it is Florentino Perez himself who stands to gain the most from Benitezai??i??s dismissal.