Benitez signs 3-year deal with Real

Rafael Benitez was overcome with emotion as he was presented as the new coach of Real Madrid yesterday.

The former Liverpool boss has signed a three-year deal to take charge of the club where he began his coaching career in the youth ranks during the early nineties.

"It is a special, emotional day for me. I have worked for many years trying to be successful to be able to return here," said the 55-year-old.

Madrid president Florentino Perez has been heavily criticised for sacking Carlo Ancelotti just a year after he won the club's long-awaited 10th European Cup.

However, he claimed Benitez was the right man for the job, hailing him as one of the world's best coaches.

"We start a new era with the full confidence that the arrival of our new coach will make us stronger," said Perez.

"Your name is a guarantee of hard work. We have one of the best coaches in the world."

Benitez is returning to Spain for the first time in over a decade after making a name for himself with two league titles in three years at Valencia between 2001 and 2004.

Yet, he has failed to land a league title in the 11 years since he swapped Valencia for Liverpool. 

– AFP