Resurfaced photo of Rafa Benitez leaves football fans ‘ready to risk it all’

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    Football fans have been left rubbing their eyes in disbelief after seeing a snap of a young Rafa Benitez before he became a manager.

    The Spaniard, now 63, played for Real Madrid Castilla, Parla and Linares during a short-lived playing career before becoming Real Madrid U17 boss at the age of just 26.

    Not many photos exist of the Champions League winning former Liverpool and Chelsea boss from that era, but social media tracked one down and shared it with the masses.

    We're sure it's right – just look at that face, it's dying to say 'facts'.

    The snap came as such a shock that many doubted its validity, but others saw enough of a resemblance when handed a comparison from the same era.

    READ MORE: West Ham pick Rafa Benitez as next manager if they sack under pressure David Moyes

    The photo features the young footballer with thick black locks after a fixture, wearing the lettering FEDU.

    One bold Twitter user posted in response: "Risking it all for a night with young Rafa." A second added: "The TL has gone into a feral meltdown. And rightly so."

    A third posted: "I… I can't process this. My brain broke." A fourth said: "I’m sorry but I am unable to compute this information."

    What do you make of a young Rafa Benitez? Tell us in the comments section below.

    One old comment read: "I honestly thought this was a young Sylvester Stallone at first glance."

    Many fans questions whether the snap did indeed show a young Benitez, but a comparison shot from the same era seemed to convince the doubters.

    Benitez managed Tenerife and Valencia before moving to England with Liverpool in 2004, lifting the Champions League the following season.

    A short spell with Inter Milan came before an interim role at Chelsea, during which he tasted Europa League glory.

    Two years at Napoli included a Coppa Italia triumph and earned the Spaniard a stint as Real Madrid boss, where he won 17 of his 25 fixtures.

    A successful period with Newcastle led to over a year in China, with his most recent spell as Everton boss ending in his dismissal.

    • Premier League
    • Newcastle United FC
    • Liverpool FC

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