JAIPUR: A sacking which was shocking. That's more or less how Antonio
Lopez Habas, assistant to just-sacked Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez
during the Spaniard's more successful time at Valencia, feels about the
development.
Barely two weeks after pummelling Rayo Vallecano 10-2, Benitez was given the marching orders after Los Blancos frittered a 2-1 lead to draw 2-2 last Sunday against Valencia, a side who scaled unbridled success under the 55-year-old at the start of the century. "I think this is a mistake," Habas, who guided Atletico de Kolkata to the semifinals of the ISL season 2 besides winning the competition in its inaugural season, told TOI from Spain during an exclusive chat on Wednesday.
"Benitez is always good at the final stages. Real Madrid should have been more patient with him," added the Spaniard, not being too off the mark Benitez was on the verge of getting sacked halfway through his first season with Valencia, surviving with a job-saving 3-2 win over Espanyol.
Five months later, he gave the fans the best days of their lives by winning an unlikely league title.
At Liverpool, during the famous Champions League campaign in Istanbul, Steven Gerrard's 86th minute strike against Olympiacos helped the Reds qualify for the knockout stages by the skin of their teeth from Group A after both sides were locked on the same number of points on the last day, needing Liverpool to at least win by a two-goal margin. They won 3-1.
The English heavyweights then went on to defy logic by erasing a three-goal first-half deficit against AC Milan to eventually win the title 3-2 on penalties.
Real though, refused to wait that long. A week after their president Florentino Perez had said that "Benitez is not the problem, Benitez is the solution," he was culled less than seven months since his appointment.
And this was after a draw against a side who did not lose a single game at home in 2015.
"The time to analyse the team (Real Madrid) is in February during the Champions League knockout stages," Habas said, hinting that Real might just have jumped the gun.
Going by reports, Real did not inform Benitez of his dismissal before announcing his replacement Zinedine Zidane.
"The way is not good," said Habas of the shoddy treatment meted out to his former boss. But in a season where sackings are taken as read, Habas added, "This is football now. All is possible."
Barely two weeks after pummelling Rayo Vallecano 10-2, Benitez was given the marching orders after Los Blancos frittered a 2-1 lead to draw 2-2 last Sunday against Valencia, a side who scaled unbridled success under the 55-year-old at the start of the century. "I think this is a mistake," Habas, who guided Atletico de Kolkata to the semifinals of the ISL season 2 besides winning the competition in its inaugural season, told TOI from Spain during an exclusive chat on Wednesday.
"Benitez is always good at the final stages. Real Madrid should have been more patient with him," added the Spaniard, not being too off the mark Benitez was on the verge of getting sacked halfway through his first season with Valencia, surviving with a job-saving 3-2 win over Espanyol.
Five months later, he gave the fans the best days of their lives by winning an unlikely league title.
At Liverpool, during the famous Champions League campaign in Istanbul, Steven Gerrard's 86th minute strike against Olympiacos helped the Reds qualify for the knockout stages by the skin of their teeth from Group A after both sides were locked on the same number of points on the last day, needing Liverpool to at least win by a two-goal margin. They won 3-1.
The English heavyweights then went on to defy logic by erasing a three-goal first-half deficit against AC Milan to eventually win the title 3-2 on penalties.
Real though, refused to wait that long. A week after their president Florentino Perez had said that "Benitez is not the problem, Benitez is the solution," he was culled less than seven months since his appointment.
And this was after a draw against a side who did not lose a single game at home in 2015.
"The time to analyse the team (Real Madrid) is in February during the Champions League knockout stages," Habas said, hinting that Real might just have jumped the gun.
Going by reports, Real did not inform Benitez of his dismissal before announcing his replacement Zinedine Zidane.
"The way is not good," said Habas of the shoddy treatment meted out to his former boss. But in a season where sackings are taken as read, Habas added, "This is football now. All is possible."
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