IT WAS meant to be a closed door training session at Jalan Besar
Stadium on Thursday night, maybe that's why Rafa Benitez took the
opportunity to let his hair down and relax with the ball a
little.
The 49-year-old Liverpool boss was a midfielder in his teens,
rising through the youth ranks at hometown club Real Madrid. He
suffered a major injury in 1979 which effectively ended all hope of
him becoming a big impact footballer, finally retiring in
1986.
Luckily the game did not lose Benitez as he turned to coaching. He
cut his cloth in Spain, rose to prominence at Valencia and now
pulls the strings at one of the biggest clubs in football.
Most Singaporeans only catch him on TV walking the sidelines in
suit and tie as his men do his bidding on the pitch, Benitez is
famous for owning a studious, serious personality.
He seems at home, though, here in Singapore.
He made the media scrum laugh at the press conference on Thursday,
and an hour or so later, turned back the clock with some nifty
juggling just before handing out training instructions to his
players.
Today photographer Wee Teck Hian performed a couple of acts worthy
of a gymnast to capture this shot of Benitez the footballer, who
clearly eats, lives and breathes the game.
