BARCELONA: Rafa Benitez will coach Celta Vigo on a three-year deal, the Spanish side said Friday.
The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid coach replaces Carlos Carvalhal, who left Celta earlier in June by mutual consent after helping the team survive relegation from La Liga.
Celta, celebrating their centenary in the upcoming season, said they have reached an agreement with the 63-year-old coach, which will be signed in July.
“The centenary season, an unforgettable and unique event for Celta fans, looks set to have a formidable leader in the dugout,” said the Galician team in a statement.
“Celta have reached an agreement in principle with Rafa Benitez for the Madrid-born coach to lead the team in this special year and two more seasons.”
Benitez, who won the Champions League with Liverpool and La Liga twice with Valencia, last coached Everton before he was sacked in January 2022.
The Spanish coach has also worked in Italy, with Inter Milan and Napoli and in the Chinese Super League.
Celta Vigo appoint ‘formidable’ coach Rafa Benitez
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Celta Vigo appoint ‘formidable’ coach Rafa Benitez
- The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid coach replaces Carlos Carvalhal, who left Celta earlier in June
- Celta said they have reached an agreement with the 63-year-old coach, which will be signed in July
Spain will host 2030 World Cup final, says RFEF president
- Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou
- Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators
MADRID: Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Rafael Louzan has said that Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Morocco wants to stage the game in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge stadium currently under construction north of the city.
“Spain has proven its organizational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday at an event organized by the Madrid Sports Press Association.
Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu or Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.
Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.
Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the last Africa Cup of Nations, including the chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.
That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.
“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said. “We must recognize what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”
FIFA and the Portuguese and Moroccan football federations have not responded to requests for comment on the final’s location.
FIFA told Reuters last year it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament. World soccer’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.
