Rafa Benitez wasn’t the problem at Real Madrid and the club’s issues run much deeper than just the manager not being right, according to former Barcelona man Luis Garcia.
Benitez last just seven months in the job at the Santiago Bernabeu before being replaced in January by Zinedine Zidane. But with Real still lagging way off the pace in La Liga, Garcia says the managerial change wasn’t the only problem at the club.
Speaking to Omnisport, the ex-midfielder stated: “When Benitez first arrived I thought he was the right man. He knew the club, he was there for many years before and he knew how Real Madrid works. He’s been waiting for that chance for many years. We all knew that he would finish up one day managing Real Madrid.
“But at the end, football is all about results. It’s not about the coach, the players or the club, it’s about the results. It has been a long time without winning a trophy. They won the Champions League two years ago, but La Liga has been very difficult. Madrid is about trophies. They are not looking to finish second.”
He went on to add that with Real 12 points off the pace in La Liga, there is plenty f work for new boss Zidane to do to make them competitive again.
“When Benitez arrived, he tried to adapt the team to the way he works, but it didn’t work out. We saw that when Zidane took over. Things started very well, as often happens when a team changes their manager. But Real Madrid still has a lot of work to do, which means Rafa Benitiez probably wasn’t the problem.”
