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Rafael Benitez 'rejected Real Madrid to stay at Liverpool'

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reveals that current boss Rafael Benitez turned down the job after guiding Liverpool to second in the Premier League in 2008-09.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has revealed that he offered Rafael Benitez the chance to take charge of the club in 2009, but the Spaniard turned them down to stay at Liverpool.

Benitez took over at the Bernabeu this summer but could have taken over from Juande Ramos instead of Manuel Pellegrini if he had been prepared to leave Anfield.

However, after guiding the Reds to second place in the Premier League in 2008-09, as well as beating Real 4-0 in the Champions League, he decided to stay at the English club.

Quoted in the Liverpool Echo, Perez said: "I thought of him in 2009 and offered him the job.

"The circumstances did not allow it because he had renewed with Liverpool and could not leave them."

Benitez was sacked as Liverpool boss a year after the offer after the club dropped to seventh place, but after spells with Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli, Perez is adamant that the former Real player is the right man for the job in Madrid this season.

"Rafa Benitez is the best for Madrid at this time," he added. "He is Spanish, a Madridista. He knows the culture, the values, and is from this house."

Real have taken four points from their opening two La Liga games under Benitez this season.

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Louis van Gaal the manager of Manchester United looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on March 15, 2015
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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