1960: Born Madrid, April 4.
1981: Leaves Real Madrid after seven years without ever playing
for the first team and joins third division Parla.
1986: After retiring as a player, appointed to Real Madrid's
coaching staff, starting off with the juniors and working up to the
Under-19s.
1994: Leads Real Madrid's B team to seventh in Spain's
Segunda Division and ends the season as assistant to first-team
coach Vicente del Bosque.
1995: Appointed coach of Valladolid but sacked after 23 games
with the team bottom of the Primera Division.
1996: Takes over at Osasuna in second division, but
lasts just nine games after recording one win.
1997: Joins Segunda Division outfit Extremadura and leads them
to promotion.
1999: Extremadura relegated from top flight after
play-off defeat to Villarreal - Benitez quits the following season
to take a year's sabbatical to study coaching in Italy and
England
2000: Appointed boss of Segunda Division Tenerife and
leads them to promotion.
2001: Replaces Hector Cuper at Valencia and leads the club to
their first Spanish league title in 31 years.
2004: Leads Valencia to their first ever double, lifting
the league title and the UEFA Cup, before the club announce his
deparure by mutual consent.
June 16 - Confirmed as Liverpool manager on five-year
contract.
2005: May - Wins Champions League in his first season as
Liverpool come from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 before beating AC Milan on
penalties in Istanbul.
2007: American duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett buy the club
from David Mooresand in May Benitez's side reach the Champions
League final for the second time in three seasons but lose to AC
Milan in Athens.
2008: Relations between Benitez and the Anfield
hierarchy sour suddenly with doubts over the Spaniard's long-term
future.
2009: March 18 - Benitez signs a new contract after months of
uncertainty, keeping him at Anfield until 2014. Liverpool finish
second to Manchester United in the Premier League.
2010: April 29 - After previous early exits from the
Champions League and FA Cup, Liverpool are knocked out of the
Europa League at the semi-final stage by Atletico
Madrid.
May 9 - A goalless draw on the final day at relegated Hull
confirms Liverpool finish the Premier League season in seventh -
their worst position since 1999.
June - Benitez leaves his job as Liverpool manager by
mutual consent and Inter Milan confirm an agreement has been
reached for him to become their new coach on a two-year deal to
succeed Jose Mourinho.
August 21 - Leads Inter to Italian Supercoppa triumph with 3-1
win over Roma at San Siro.
August 27 - Inter beaten 2-0 by Atletico Madrid in
European Super Cup final in Monaco.
December 18 - Leads Inter to FIFA Club World Cup glory with 3-0
win over Congolese side Mazembe in Abu Dhabi final. Immediately
then calls on club to back him in the transfer market in January or
sack him.
December 23 - Inter announce Benitez's dismissal after agreeing
the financial terms of his departure.
