After beginning his career at Real Madrid, he chose Liverpool to win one of the most coveted awards in European football.
He spent his formative years meandering around the Spanish second division before hanging up his boots to accept managerial positions that brought him all over the world.
Successes occurred in Serie A, the Championship, and other leagues besides simply Anfield and the English top division.
However, others claimed that he tarnished his reputation by making a contentious crosstown move that ended disastrously.
Who is this player-manager, who is practically unrecognizable in the photograph from the late 1970s when he was a member of the Spanish under-19 team?
Rafael Benitez, who played at the club level for Real Madrid's reserve team, is the answer. As a young player, he made five international appearances.
The former Newcastle manager was a member of the team at the World Student Games in Mexico City when the photo was shot.
Benitez had an injury during the competition that forced him to sit out for a year, all but eliminating the prospect of a career at the pinnacle of the sport.
The 63-year-old former Parla and now-defunct Linares employee
Benitez experienced the success that paved the way for his move to Liverpool while playing for Valencia, as the team won the UEFA Cup and LaLiga in 2004 and 2002, respectively.
In 2005, Benitez filled the cabinets at Anfield with an FA Cup, Super Cup, and the Champions League trophy, turning Liverpool into a cult favorite and bringing the team everything but the Premier League.
He won more domestic awards during his time at Inter Milan, Napoli, Chelsea, and Newcastle, but rarely were his transfers easy.
His season-long stays at Real Madrid, Inter, and the Blues were particularly disastrous, but no move caused him as much distress as his hasty hiring at Everton in 2021.
While Toffees supporters never really warmed up to their manager, leaving him up for an avalanche of criticism when the team's form started to slip, Liverpool fans felt the sting of betrayal.
Since being fired in January 2022, Benitez has been without a managerial position; he now faces a new obstacle.
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