A Season on the Brink
A Portrait of Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool – 20th Anniversary Edition With A New Foreword From Rafa Benitez
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Orion Publishing Co
Published:1st May '25
Should be back in stock very soon
PRE-ORDER RISE OF THE VILLANS, GUILLEM BALAGUE'S NEW BOOK, NOW. OUT 25 SEPTEMBER
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'ENTHRALLING' FourFourTwo
'STIRRING' Dublin Herald
'FASCINATING' Red and White Kop
'ASTONISHING' Bleacher Report
The Sunday Times Bestseller
Twentieth anniversary edition, fully updated with a new foreword from Rafael Benitez
When Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-05 season, the reaction of many fans was 'Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?'. After a wonderful spell at Valencia, the Spaniard arrived to take over Liverpool's famous Boot Room, determined to change the club's fortunes and win over a disillusioned Kop.
In just one season, Benitez's importation of Spanish players, coaching methods and diet led to a revolution, usurping José Mourinho's Chelsea to reach the European Champions League final in Istanbul. It was a match that would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
At half-time, Liverpool were 3-0 down to Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan, a team many regarded as the best in the world, filled with stars such as Paolo Maldini, Kaká and Andrea Pirlo. However, against all the odds, Liverpool produced a stunning comeback, with goals from club captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Šmicer and Xabi Alonso, before a dramatic penalty shoot-out saw the Reds clinch European glory.
Featuring exclusive interviews with Benitez himself, assistant manager Pako Ayestarán and key first-team players, this is the behind-the-scenes story of Rafa's remarkable success with Liverpool.
An enthralling, revelatory account of a game that will be remembered forever * FOURFOURTWO *
Fascinating, stirring stuff * DUBLIN HERALD *
ISBN: 9781399626668
Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 24mm
Weight: 240g
272 pages