Rafael Benitez had waited a long time to manage Real Madrid against Barcelona. Yet, after a humiliating 4-0 defeat at home, the reaction on Sunday suggests his first experience may also have been his last.
Madrid sports daily Marca claimed a lack of confidence in the former Liverpool and Chelsea manager from the fans and players had only been confirmed by Saturday’s thrashing by their bitter rivals.
“Now or in June.
The sacking of Benitez only lacks a date because the decision has already been taken after the debacle suffered by Real Madrid against Barcelona in the Bernabeu,” Marca published on Sunday.
Madrid were thoroughly outclassed from start to finish by a Barca side that even had the luxury of leaving four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi on the bench on his return from a two-month injury layoff.
To rub salt into Real’s wounds, Barca boss Luis Enrique introduced the Argentine for the final half hour and he played a part in setting up the fourth for Luis Suarez.
By that point the Madrid fans were in open rebellion against their own side with plenty of white handkerchiefs – a symbol calling for the coach’s sacking in Spain – on display.
Yet, there were also plenty of cries for club president Florentino Perez to resign.
Perez is six years into his second term as president after resigning after six years the first time round when his Galacticos project of signing the world’s most marketable players was deemed to have failed.
