Some football coaches like a laid back approach while communicating with their players: no harsh words, no whip, just a regular, relaxed atmosphere, as long as everybody is on the same page regarding their duties. Just take a look a Karlo Ancelotti, or Hansi Flick. On the other side are coaches who above all other things want to stamp their authority first and foremost, with that ‘It’s my way or the highway’ mentality. Even if that means risking your team’s result and playing other players out of position just to make your point. Meet Rafa Benitez, the famous Spanish coach who had another fallout with his player, this time from his current team Everton – Lucas Digne.🗣️ Rafael Benitez on Lucas Digne: “I think Lucas was clear, the manager decides. He has been training today, we will decide tomorrow. Everyone has to be focused and realise the priority is the team.”#FFScout #FPL— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) December 10, 2021 The Spaniard omitted his countryman ahead of a very important clash with Arsenal and played Ben Godfrey out of position, since Digne is currently the only healthy left back in Everton. According to The Athletic, former Barcelona full back fell out with Rafa in recent months with the pair disagreeing over tactics, while trust on both sides is said to have eroded. It is also believed that this could result in a January sale of the reliable Spaniard. And this is not a lone example. In fact, throughout his long managerial career, Benitez has a reputation of crossing the blades with his players. Let’s examine the most famous ones.Van der Vaart slams Werner, claiming he’s “a blind horse”Ronaldo, Ramos, Benzema – Real MadridWhen Rafa took over the Royal club in 2015, he failed to manage the big egos in the dressing room, Cristiano Ronaldo in particular, and then Sergio Ramos too. According to reports in Spain, Benitez reportedly sent one of his coaches to Ronaldo with a USB pen drive that included videos and images that he would be able to study to improve. But Ronaldo, responded by declining the pen drive and sent a message in reply, which apparently read: ‘Tell Benitez that I’ll send him a USB drive with all my goals on it for him to study.’ He scored 61 goals in 54 games prior to Rafa’s arrival. The Spaniard responded usually at press conferences by refusing to name the Portuguese the best player in the world, in fact not even the best player in Real.But Benitez didn’t end there. Current Everton coach managed to upset Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez, Jese Rodriguez and Karim Benzema over his style of play. Benitez criticised Ramos over a penalty kick with Atletico Madrid in October 2015.“The penalty was a childish mistake, but I won’t lose any sleep over it. Anything that Benitez has to say he can say when he sees me. I’m not concerned or bothered. Just as people talk about my mistake, they’ll talk about the substitutions” was Ramos’s response via Marca.The next on the line was Karim Benzema who was furious at being substituted.’It’s true I’m fed up of being taken off. It’s true that the electronic board always shows the No 9. Ask Benitez why that is. I’m calm and will continue to work so I’m not always substituted. He took me off to get a result, for defensive reasons” Benzema told AS. And since he was in Real after all, Rafa paid the price and got the sack after only six months.’Ronaldo texted me and asked me to show some respect’Xabi Alonso – LiverpoolThis one is truly remarkable. Xabi Alonso was Rafa’s loyal soldier in Liverpool until he decided to ‘dare’ and put family over club. In 2008, the Reds were preparing for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Milan, after winning at Enfield 2-0. At the same time, Alonso’ wife went into labour. The Spaniard explained to Rafa that he would not be able to play in the second leg and would be instead by his wife’s side. However, Benitez ruthlessly denied his request.“We were going into labour, and I told Rafa that I could not go. I would go when everything was fine. Take a plane and meet them there. He didn’t accept it. I had to make a decision and I decided to be with my family. It wasn’t easy, my job isn’t a normal job and it was not an ordinary game, however, I never have any regrets. If I hadn’t have done it then I wouldn’t have been present for the labour. By the way, we won 0-1 with a goal from Fernando Torres” Alonso told El Pais. The midfielder was eventually sold to Real Madrid.(©AFP)John Terry – ChelseaWhile appointing former Liverpool boss as an Chelsea interim manager was never gonna be a good decision among fans (just like now in Everton), Benitez paid no attention to that detail and took over the Blues, and eventually fell out with one of the biggest characters in the locker room – John Terry. Eventually it came down to his tactics, which Terry didn’t understand, and constant comparisons with Liverpool.“It was tough, I have to be honest. When he first came, I was really looking forward to working with Rafa initially. I’d seen tactically how he’d set up against us previously. You give everyone a fair chance and it’s down to them to prove to you otherwise, but we just didn’t get on from day one. Every meeting we had it was, “We used to do this at Liverpool”. I had to have a few conversations with him and say, “Gaffer, you have to forget Liverpool, you can’t keep saying we this, we that, you’re at Chelsea now, it’s not going down well with the lads. I played in a couple of games, away at Fulham, scored two, he dropped me for the next game. It was all those little bits that added up” said Terry to Sky Sports last season.
