Having won trophies in Spain, England and Italy, earlier this month an emotional Rafael Benitez landed arguably the biggest job in club football.
The 55-year-old agreed a three-year contract to take charge of his boyhood side Real Madrid, having replaced Carlo Ancelotti, who oversaw a trophyless 2014-15 campaign.
The demands placed on Benitez at the Bernabeu will be like none that he has ever experienced before and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks out five tasks that he must complete to ensure that his first season in charge of Los Blancos is a successful one.
1. Massage Ronaldo's ego
© Getty Images
Benitez may have managed the likes of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard at the peak of their powers, but Cristiano Ronaldo is a completely different animal. On the pitch, Benitez must decide if he is going to use the Portuguese talisman in a traditional wide role, or as some have suggested, move him into a central striker's position.
Away from matchdays, the coach must make Ronaldo believe that he is the main man. Whether you are a fan of Ronaldo's personality or not, the fact is that he produces his very best form when he feels appreciated. His 61 goals in 54 outings last term suggested that Ancelotti had that down to a tee, but it remains to be seen if Benitez is prepared to massage egos.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has his doubts, having recently told talkSPORT: "My gut feeling is it might end in tears, just with the type of players and egos he is dealing with at Real Madrid. My understanding of him all those years ago, the type of personality he is, he is going to have to eat a bit of humble pie and bite his tongue at times with the type of squad he has inherited. He knows his football, but it was his way or the highway most of the time."
2. Lift Bale's confidence
© Getty Images
After his first season in Spain, which ended in Champions League triumph, it seemed that Bale could do little wrong. Not only did the Welshman score in that win over city rivals Atletico Madrid in Lisbon, he also bagged the winning goal in the Copa del Rey final. In total, he found the net 22 times in all competitions, which provoked suggestions that he was ready to be the club's long-term successor to Ronaldo.
The following season could not have unfolded much differently, though. Frequently jeered by sections of the Bernabeu, the 25-year-old was also a regular figure of criticism in the media. His playing relationship with the aforementioned Ronaldo seemed to hit rock bottom, with the former Manchester United star visibly annoyed by Bale's failure to pass to him on more than one occasion.
There had been suggestions that a supposedly disillusioned Bale would return to the Premier League this summer, but Benitez has already insisted that the attacker is a key part of his plans. After all, he knows all about Bale, having been in charge of Inter Milan when the winger scored a hat-trick against the Italians for Tottenham Hotspur.
3. Incorporate new additions
© Getty Images
It is a well-known fact that whoever the man is in the Bernabeu dugout, he has very little say as to which players come and go. In short, the manager simply has to make the new additions fit into his starting lineup, while making do without those that have been sold on.
Benitez will be no different. In fact, Madrid president Florentino Perez started the transfer business before he was even appointed when the signing of Porto right-back Danilo was announced for big money. That already throws up a selection dilemma, with Spain international Dani Carvajal regarded to be one of the best players in the world in that position. Goalkeeper David de Gea is also expected to arrive, with Iker Casillas moving on as a result.
Last season, it seemed plainly obvious that Ancelotti felt obliged to fit the likes of Ronaldo, Bale, James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos into the same side. On more than one occasion the balance looked all wrong, so it will be interesting to see if Benitez buckles to the same pressure.
4. Excite the fans
© Getty Images
Speaking to Sky Sports News, ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher once said: "Brendan Rodgers is not Rafa Benitez or Gerard Houllier who were someone who would really focus on the back four. There are certain managers who want results but also want the team to play in a certain way. Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez never played the football that Brendan Rodgers's team played, nowhere near it, but it all comes down to what you're about. When I was there training with Brendan Rodgers, his main focus was on the ball."
It is fair to suggest that if Benitez does not send his side out to play with a sense of attacking freedom, it will not be accepted by the natives. The mentality at Madrid means that winning is not enough, you have to win in dominant fashion.
Benitez's teams are known for being tactically astute and at times have even been set up with the sole purpose of stifling the opposition, before going on to hit them on the counter-attack. In his defence, Benitez has not had the amount of attacking quality elsewhere that he has inherited in the Spanish capital, but he must use the tools at his disposal effectively.
5. Win the big matches, trophies
© Getty Images
From the 18 points that were on offer against last season's La Liga top four of Barcelona, Atletico and Valencia, Ancelotti's Madrid collected just four. Having fallen just two points short of eventual champions Barca, even a slightly better record against the sides around them would have seen the men in white clinch the title.
Not only that, they were forced to watch on as major rivals Barca won a La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble, while they also only managed to beat Atletico once in eight attempts in all competitions.
However, Carragher has backed his former boss to deliver the goods, telling AS: "[Benitez] always wins titles, but at Madrid the pressure is huge and he arrives just after Barca has won the treble. Now Madrid need to respond with trophies and Benítez is a coach who always wins something. He has been successful in European competitions with Valencia and with Chelsea he also won the Europa League. He knows Europe very well and has some fantastic players at Madrid. He has a great opportunity."
Liam Apicella
