Rafa Benítez returns to management with Panathinaikos in record-breaking deal – KopTalk

Rafa Benítez is again in enterprise — and this time, he’s heading to Greece. The 65-year-old Spaniard has been formally unveiled as the brand new head coach of Panathinaikos, marking the seventeenth managerial job of an illustrious profession that has taken him throughout Europe’s high leagues.

The Athens-based membership, certainly one of Greece’s most historic establishments, introduced Benítez’s arrival with nice fanfare, describing him as “essentially the most profitable coach ever to reach at a Greek workforce.” The transfer is being hailed as the beginning of a brand new period for the Greens, who’ve struggled to recapture their former glory lately.

A New Problem in Athens

Benítez, who has signed a contract till 2027, is reportedly set to earn a record-breaking wage for the Greek Tremendous League, with figures various between £3.47 million (€5 million) per 12 months relying on the supply. It makes him the highest-paid coach within the league’s historical past — a testomony to his standing within the sport and the religion Panathinaikos have positioned in him to show their fortunes round.

The membership at present sit seventh within the 14-team desk, eight factors behind leaders PAOK however with a sport in hand. The duty awaiting Benítez is monumental: Panathinaikos haven’t received the home title since 2009–10, when a sure Djibril Cissé was firing in targets in inexperienced and white.

The Starting of a New Period

In a press release that would simply move for a love letter, Panathinaikos introduced that the numerous titles he has received in his lengthy profession — together with the Champions League, two UEFA Cup/Europa League titles, and a Membership World Cup — display the attain and stature of the Spanish coach.

The Madrid-born supervisor wasted no time, arriving in Athens at noon and instantly taking cost of his first coaching session. His acquainted teaching employees — Paco de Miguel, Joaquín Valerio, Antonio Gómez, and Jesús García Vallejo — have all joined him in Greece.

Benítez is predicted to make his debut in opposition to Asteras Tripolis at Leoforos, the membership’s historic residence floor, the place anticipation is already at fever pitch.

A Legendary Profession Continues

This appointment marks one other fascinating cease in Benítez’s storied profession. His managerial résumé now spans 17 golf equipment and consists of a few of the largest names in world soccer — from Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, and Actual Madrid to Chelsea, Napoli, and Newcastle United.

His trophy cupboard speaks for itself:

2x LaLiga titles and 1x UEFA Cup with Valencia
1x Champions League and 1x FA Cup with Liverpool
1x FIFA Membership World Cup with Inter Milan
1x Europa League with Chelsea

He was most just lately accountable for Celta Vigo, the place his tenure resulted in March final 12 months after a tough spell that left the membership hovering above the LaLiga relegation zone. Since then, Benítez has made no secret of his want to return to administration — ideally in England or Europe.

Chatting with The Telegraph final September, he stated that being known as a legend is sweet however sophisticated, and that he doesn’t need individuals to assume he’s completed. He emphasised that he’s nonetheless evolving and needs to proceed teaching on the highest stage.

Now, in Athens, he has his want — and maybe probably the most fascinating initiatives of his profession.

The Rafathinaikos Period Begins

For Panathinaikos supporters, the appointment feels symbolic. This can be a membership that when stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Europe’s elite, famously reaching the European Cup closing in 1971, however has since endured years of decline and monetary turbulence.

The arrival of a Champions League-winning supervisor with Benítez’s pedigree has reignited hope that the Greens can as soon as once more problem their fiercest rivals, Olympiacos, who’ve dominated Greek soccer for over a decade.

Benítez’s problem can be twofold: restore home satisfaction and re-establish Panathinaikos as a reputation that carries weight on the European stage.

As one Athens newspaper put it merely, the Rafathinaikos period begins.

And in true Rafa style, you may guess there’ll be construction, spreadsheets, and a tactical masterplan already pinned to the dressing-room wall.