rafael rafa bentez maudes born 16 april 1960 is a spanish football manager and former player he is currently manager of napoliborn in madrid bentez played football throughout his youth and joined the real madrid academy he mixed his university studies with his football career at lower division spanish teams he joined real madrids coaching staff at the age of 26 going on to work as the under 19 and reserve team coach and assistant manager for the senior team bentez moved away from real madrid but management spells at real valladolid and osasuna were shortlived and unsuccessfulbentez guided segunda divisin side extremadura back to the primera divisin in his first season in 1997 but the team was relegated the following season he left the club taking a brief break from football before returning to coach tenerife in 2000 bentez was appointed coach of valencia and he proved himself to be amongst the top spanish managers by winning la liga in the 200102 seasondon baln and el pas named him manager of the year in 2004 another la liga league title and a uefa cup victory were added however a disagreement between bentez and the club director over team investment caused the spaniard to switch to english premier league club liverpoolbentez was a high achiever in his first season as he guided liverpool to victory in the uefa champions league in 2005 the highest honour in european club football he also won the fa cup in 2006 and reached the 2007 champions league final but remained unable to win the premier league with liverpools best performance under bentez a second place finish in 200809 he parted company with liverpool in june 2010 and subsequently managed internazionale whom he guided to the supercoppa italiana and fifa club world cup titles but he was dismissed midway through the 201011 season in november 2012 he was appointed interim manager of chelsea for the remainder of the season and won the 2013 europa league titlein may 2013 bentez was appointed manager of serie a side napoli