Rafael Benítez

Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish football manager. He is the only manager in history to have won the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Benítez joined Real Madrid's coaching staff at the age of 26, going on to work as the under-19 and reserve team coach, and assistant manager for the senior team. Benítez moved away from Real Madrid, but management spells at Real Valladolid and Osasuna were short-lived and unsuccessful. Benítez guided Segunda División side Extremadura back to the Primera División in his first season in 1997, but the team was relegated the following season. He left the club, and coached Tenerife in 2000, winning promotion in his only season.

Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia and he proved himself to be amongst the top Spanish managers by winning La Liga in the 2001–02 season. In 2004, another La Liga league title and a UEFA Cup victory were added.

The Spaniard switched to English Premier League club Liverpool. Benítez guided Liverpool to victory in the UEFA Champions League in 2005. For the second consecutive season he was named UEFA Manager of the Year. He also won the FA Cup in 2006 and reached the 2007 Champions League Final, but remained unable to win the Premier League, with Liverpool's best league performance under Benítez a second-place finish in 2008–09.

Rafa

Rafa or RAFA may refer to:

Places

People

Fictional

Organisations

Rafa'

Rafa' is a settlement in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Rafaï

Rafaï is a town and sub-prefecture on the Chinko River, in the Central African Republic prefecture of Mbomou. Its estimated population is about 14,000 people.

History

The Sultanate of Rafaï was the last of Ubangi-Shari to still have its sultan. The last sultan assumed the throne in 1909.

Transport

Rafaï has a small civilian airport with a 4,249 foot unpaved runway.

Notes