Soccer-Former Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez

MADRID, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Factbox on former Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez, who was fired by the Spanish club on Monday. * Born in Madrid, April 16, 1960. EARLY CAREER * After a knee injury ends a modest playing career, Benitez begins coaching in Real Madrid's youth section. * From 1993 to 2001 he coaches Real Madrid B, Real Valladolid, Osasuna, Extremadura and Tenerife. Leads Valencia to their first league title in 31 years in his first season in charge in 2001-02. * They win La Liga again in 2003-04 and beat Olympique Marseille 2-0 in UEFA Cup final for their first domestic and European double. LIVERPOOL * Liverpool appoint Benitez in June 2004. * First season ends in triumph with an unforgettable Champions League final victory over AC Milan when Liverpool overturn a 3-0 halftime deficit and win on penalties. * 2005-06 - Liverpool beat West Ham in the FA Cup final. * 2006-07 - Liverpool reach the Champions League final again but lose to Milan. * 2009-10 - A poor season ends with Liverpool seventh in the Premier League and they also fail to progress beyond the Champions League group stage. * June 3, 2010 - Benitez leaves Liverpool by mutual consent and a week later joins European champions Inter Milan. INTER * Inter stick with the same treble-winning squad but injuries begin to bite and their form dips. * Benitez leaves after a troubled six months in charge despite winning the Club World Cup. CHELSEA * Appointed as interim boss of the European champions in November 2012 after Roberto Di Matteo is sacked following their Champions League group stage elimination. Benitez is never popular with fans and results do not especially improve although Chelsea beat Benfica in Europa League final. NAPOLI * Takes over at Napoli in May 2013 and wins the Coppa Italia in his debut season. Napoli finish third in Serie A but are unable to build on their success in 2014-15. * They lose their Champions League qualifier to Athletic Bilbao and miss out on the lucrative group stage. * They are beaten in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia and Europa League and Benitez announces on May 28 he is leaving at the end of the campaign. * Subsequent defeat to Lazio in their final game of the season means they fail to secure a place in next season's Champions League playoff round. REAL MADRID * Named as manager in June 2015 in place of Carlo Ancelotti. * Real lose three and draw four of their first 18 La Liga matches, including a 4-0 home defeat by arch-rivals Barcelona, to slip four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid. * Real president Florentino Perez announces Benitez has been fired at a news conference at the Bernabeu stadium and former Real and France great Zinedine Zidane will step up from B team coach to replace him. (Compiled by Iain Rogers, Editing by Ed Osmond)