Rafa Benitez has returned to football management in spectacular fashion, securing a groundbreaking deal with Greek giants Panathinaikos.
The 65-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract worth between £3.5million and £4.4million annually, comfortably making him the highest-paid manager in Greek football history.
Benitez will take charge of his first match this Sunday at home against Asteras Tripolis.
Remarkably, this new role represents the Spaniard’s 17th managerial role after an extraordinary career.
Rafa Benitez has returned to football management in spectacular fashion, securing a groundbreaking deal with Greek giants Panathinaikos
|
PA
The former Liverpool and Chelsea boss had been without a club since departing Celta Vigo in March 2024, but now finds himself back in the dugout with an unprecedented salary for Greek football.
The Champions League winner brings an impressive CV to Athens, having previously managed Valencia, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Napoli alongside his time in England.
The Spaniard is set to become the highest paid head coach in Greek football history
|
PA
His trophy cabinet includes two LaLiga titles, a Champions League triumph with Liverpool, and Europa League success at Chelsea.
Panathinaikos currently find themselves in seventh place in the Greek Super League, eight points behind leaders PAOK but with a game in hand.
They’ve lost just once in six league matches this season, though three draws have left them off the pace.
The club are also competing in the Europa League, where they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Feyenoord on Thursday night.
Following Sunday’s league fixture, Benitez will next be on the touchline for a cup match away at Atromitos on Wednesday.
Panathinaikos haven’t won the league title since 2010, when Djibril Cisse was their top scorer, and president Yiannis Alafouzos has tasked Benitez with ending this 15-year drought.
The club’s ambitions are clear, particularly with their planned move to a state-of-the-art new stadium at Votanikos in 2027.
Rafa Benitez has managed Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton in England
|
PA
Panathinaikos boast an impressive European heritage; they reached the 1971 European Cup final at Wembley, losing 2-0 to Ajax.
The Athenian outfit also made it to the Champions League semi-finals in 1996 and the quarter-finals in 2002.
Club chief Franco Baldini and Alafouzos identified Benitez as their top choice, with the Spaniard flying to Athens via private jet on Thursday to finalise the agreement.
Benitez had been out of work for over a year following his difficult spell at Celta Vigo, where he won just nine of 33 matches.
His most recent English job at Everton saw similar struggles, with only seven victories from 22 games.
Speaking in September about his future, Benitez told the Telegraph: “Sometimes to be described as ‘a legend’ is very nice, but also complicated. It is bad for a coach to be seen as retired.
“People still ask me, ‘Do you want to coach?’ For sure, I do, particularly in England and Europe. I do not want people to think I am finished. I am still evolving.”
