Former legendary Real Madrid coach sacked from his club after seven months
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The renowned Spanish tactician Rafael Benítez has been officially dismissed from his position as head coach of Greek giants Panathinaikos.
Details: The 66-year-old former manager of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Real Madrid didn’t even last a full year at the helm of the Athens powerhouse—he was let go just seven months after his high-profile appointment, which turned into a genuine disaster for the club.
Benítez took charge of Panathinaikos in October last year, becoming the highest-paid coach in Greek football history with a staggering £4.4 million per season contract. However, the “Greens” management, led by owner Giannis Alafouzos, was deeply dissatisfied with the results: under his leadership, the team lost 10 out of 41 matches.
And while Rafa did guide the “Shamrocks” to the Europa League round of 16, his reputation took a fatal hit with a crushing defeat in the fiercely contested “Derby of the Eternal Enemies” against Olympiacos (0-2) at home. A disappointing end to the season saw Panathinaikos drop to fourth place in the league, which means instead of the Europa League, the club will now have to go through the Conference League qualifiers.
Reminder: Álvaro Arbeloa responded to the question of whether he will join José Mourinho’s coaching staff.
