Rafa Benitez insisted he didn’t hear any of the jeers directed at him from some of Real Madrid’s fans as Los Blancos’ recorded a remarkable 10-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano.
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The game was skewed by the first-half dismissal of two Rayo players, allowing Real to run amok against the nine opposition men as Gareth Bale scored four and Karim Benzema registered a hat-trick.
Despite the goal glut, the match was played out in a strange atmosphere in the capital after the action had been preceded by considerable sections of the home support jeering Benitez’s name when it was announced alongside the team lineups before the game.
But the coach brushed aside that criticism, saying: “I am fortunate that I came out of the tunnel late so I didn’t hear anything of that and was just concentrating on the game.”
Earlier, Madrid had taken the lead but then fallen behind as Rayo scored two quick-fire goals to stun the Bernabeu. Benitez added: “The game had three phases. The first, when we scored and were doing what we knew we had to do.
“The second, when we conceded two goals and had to improve our defensive attention. And then the third, when we took advantage of our numerical superiority. From that moment, we did what we had to do and scored lots of goals.”
Rayo boss Paco Jemez, meanwhile, hinted that referee Ignacio Iglesias was responsible for the result after sending off two Rayo players in the opening half hour.
Madrid in double figures, Rayo on 9 men and Benítez still ‘giving orders’ which is a strange sight
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Jemez is an emotional character who is well known for his refusal to pull any punches, and he launched into a furious tirade. He said: “It has been a long time since I have seen anything so surreal and embarrassing. This game doesn’t benefit Real Madrid, ourselves or Spanish football. Today, nobody won. We all lost.
“We have lost credibility and so has the Spanish league. We feel humiliated and abused.”
Jemez continued to suggest that his team felt the refereeing decisions went against them, adding: “It’s difficult to console my players because they feel completely humiliated and trampled on.
“I cannot be any clearer than that – whoever wants to understand me will understand. How can something like this happen in ‘the best league in the world’? It shouldn’t happen anywhere. It is shameful and a disgrace.”
