Rafa Benitez return a ‘closing of the circle’

Rafa Benitez emotionally hailed the “closing of a circle” as he returned to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu yesterday as first team coach - but the former Los Blancos youth team player and reserve trainer now has to quickly show that he can handle his dream job as Real Madrid first team coach.

Madrid-born Benitez spent over a decade at Madrid as first a youth player than fast-emerging coaching talent, before leaving in 1995 to further his management career, and going on to win La Liga titles with Valencia and the Champions League with Liverpool.

The 55-year-old was back at the Bernabeu yesterday, where he at first struggled to speak with emotion, before later saying his objective now was to win everything possible.