Rafa Benitez is described as ‘hurt, angry and disappointed’ by Real Madrid’s decision to sack him seven months into a three-year contract.
Benitez was appointed in June 2015 to succeed Carlo Ancelotti but was himself this week replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
An open letter was posted on Benitez’s website as a way of saying goodbye to Los Blancos and in it Benitez wrote warmly of his time at Santiago Bernabeu, thanking the club, directors and players.
But Marca describes Benitez as ‘hurt, angry and disappointed’ by the decision of the club and notes he didn’t personally say goodbye to anyone.
Benitez is said to have not believed the long-running speculation over his position, dismissing it as a campaign against him in the Press.
Florentino Perez more than once publically backed Benitez and Benitez took the President’s words at face value, but then only learned from the Press that he was sacked and Zidane was taking over.
Marca describes Benitez’s goodbye letter as a ‘politically correct message’ that hid his true feelings towards the events that took him away from the Bernabeu.
Benitez is said to have been ‘fuming inside,’ including taking against some of the players and their treatment of him.
It’s noted that only Luka Modric used social media to say goodbye to Benitez, in contrast to the outpouring from the players when Ancelotti was dismissed last summer.
Benitez is said to have felt the players didn’t give him a fair chance to prove his worth, and Perez has given in to pressure from the squad that still missed Ancelotti.
