It was always going to be a tough task for Rafa Benitez to replace his popular, Champions League winning predecessor Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Saturday's woeful 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona has turned the pressure up a notch.
Real Madrid captain and centre back Sergio Ramos is "100 percent committed" to the club, new coach Rafa Benitez said on Thursday, amid continued speculation the Spain defender could be on his way to Manchester United.
Newcastle United put their faith in Rafa Benitez on Friday, hoping the Spaniard will keep them in the Premier League after they won only six of 28 league games under the sacked Steve McClaren.
Rafael Benitez was the best tactical manager Steven Gerrard ever played under but the former Liverpool captain said he felt the Spaniard did not like him as a person, according to an extract from his autobiography being serialized in the Daily Mail.
Everton sacked manager Rafa Benitez on Sunday following their 2-1 defeat at Norwich City which left the Merseyside club six points above the Premier League relegation zone in 15th place.
La Liga leaders Real Madrid cruised to a 4-0 home win over relegation-threatened Celta Vigo on Sunday to restore their seven-point lead at the top of the table with a dominant display.
Spaniard Benitez left Napoli at the end of the season and takes over from Italian Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu.
Sacked Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez says it was "an honour and privilege" to lead the club he has always supported and has sent a "good luck" message to his successor, former France great Zinedine Zidane.
Leicester City's traumatic week ended with a 1-0 win at Cardiff City although the result was never the chief concern on a day when the tributes flowed for the Midlands club's late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who died in a helicopter crash.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said it was a "special feeling" and an extra motivation knowing he is poised to become the first man to coach six different clubs in the Champions League.
Former Inter Milan, Liverpool and Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez will return to Italy to take charge of Serie A club Napoli.
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard will miss Wednesday's Europa League final against Benfica with a hamstring strain while John Terry's ankle problem is still being assessed, interim manager Rafa Benitez said.
Chelsea, galvanised by the second-half introduction of Fernando Torres, capped a successful week by coming from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 to leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur into third place in the Premier League on Sunday.
Alex Ferguson wasted little time renewing his old rivalry with Rafael Benitez on Friday when he branded the Spaniard "lucky" for walking into the manager's job at Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho wants to be judged as a new Chelsea manager rather than for his achievements in his previous stint at Stamford Bridge, and says his first aim is to unite the club's fans after last season's turmoil.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty and missed another as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 3-1.
David Villa is an important member of the Barcelona squad, his club and international team mate Andres Iniesta said on Thursday amid speculation the Spain striker could move in the January transfer window.
Rafa Benitez will continue to rotate his Chelsea players as they bid to deal with a fixture pile-up and rebound from two consecutive defeats, the club's interim manager said on Tuesday.
John Terry is prepared to bide his time as he battles to win back a regular starting place, the Chelsea captain said on Tuesday following reports of a dressing-room bust-up with interim manager Rafa Benitez.
Chelsea surrendered another three points in their quest for a top-four Premier League finish as Newcastle United's new signing Moussa Sissoko struck in the last minute to grab a 3-2 win that left Rafa Benitez's side reeling.
Chelsea's old guard demonstrated that they still have plenty to offer the club on Sunday with left back Ashley Cole signing a new contract and Frank Lampard scoring his 195th goal since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Spain international goalkeeper Pepe Reina has left Liverpool for a season-long loan at Serie A club Napoli, but said in an open letter to fans of the five-times European champions it was not his decision to leave Anfield.
Chelsea brought a ray of light to a largely miserable December when they reached the Capital One (League) Cup semi-finals after a 5-1 triumph at second tier Leeds United on Wednesday.
Chelsea's interim manager Rafa Benitez has said he expects the club's long-serving England players Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, British media reported on Saturday.
Inter Milan manager Rafa Benitez delivered another of his famous statistically-led retorts on Monday to prove that his team were not suffering more than their fair share of injuries.
Everton's Premier League relegation fears deepened considerably as they collapsed to a 5-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur with Harry Kane scoring twice for the rampant hosts on Monday.
Portugal footballer Cristiano Ronaldo could leave Real Madrid this summer, after reportedly being miffed over club president Florentino Perez's growing closeness with teammate Gareth Bale.
Under-fire Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has been priced odds-on to be the first Premier League manager to leave his job this season.
Roy Hodgson has apologised to Liverpool fans after accusing them of failing to support him since he arrived to take over from Rafa Benitez.
Dismal domestic and Champions League campaigns have left Liverpool seeking Europa League salvation but they must first overturn a 1-0 semi-final first-leg deficit against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
Holders Inter Milan earned their coach a reprieve to lead a group of seven teams through to the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, a night lit up by Lionel Messi's customary finesse and Wayne Rooney's goalscoring return.
Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has a full squad available, including forward Karim Benzema, for Saturday's La Liga Clasico at home to Barcelona.
Manager Roy Hodgson has hinted that Liverpool are unlikely to mount a Premier League title challenge this season.
A first-half goal from new signing Alessandro Matri gave Juventus a sweet 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the derby of Italy on Sunday, dealing a huge blow to their opponents' bid to win a sixth successive scudetto.
Liverpool have assured Rafa Benitez that his job is secure despite the club joining the Champions League also-rans.
French fair play could help keep Liverpool's UEFA Champions League hopes alive when they take on Debrecen in Hungary on Tuesday. Five times champions Liverpool must win to have any hope of reaching the last 16 but they also need France's Olympique Lyon, who are already through, not to lose against Fiorentina in Italy.
Liverpool is ready to buy Croatian forward Eduardo from rivals Arsenal in a 10 million pound deal in order to strengthen their attacking options.
Pressure mounted on Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez on Tuesday as his injury list grew, a run of poor results continued, and one of his players was accused of cheating.
Liverpool head for a decisive Champions League clash at Olympique Lyon on Wednesday with 10 players injured or doubtful for the game and coach Rafa Benitez facing the biggest crisis in his five-year Anfield reign.
Rafa Benitez was named Inter Milan coach on Thursday, charged with the tough task of matching last season's stunning treble success under Jose Mourinho. Spaniard Benitez, who last week ended his six-year spell at Liverpool, has penned a two-year deal with the European, Serie A and Italian Cup champions.
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