have confirmed Rafa Benitez as their new manager with the Spaniard signing a three-year deal.
The 55-year-old left Napoli when his
contract expired at the end of this season after the Italian club
finished fifth in Serie A.
He will be presented as Madrid boss
at a press conference on Wednesday and has embarked on a tour of the
club's Valdebebas training ground.
Benitez succeeds Carlo Ancelotti, who Madrid parted company with after a season without winning a major trophy.
The Italian took Madrid to their
10th European triumph with Champions League glory in 2014 but they have
played second fiddle to rivals Barcelona in Spain this season.
Benitez started his coaching career
at the Santiago Bernabeu as B-team manager from 1993 until 1995 and
returns after 20 years away.
Barca's dominance in Spain and
across Europe is what Benitez will have to overturn, as well as getting
the best form out of £86million world-record signing Gareth Bale.
Benitez is a two-time La Liga winner with Valencia, in 2002 and 2004, when he also lifted the UEFA Cup.
It was this success, alongside a
reputation for meticulous preparation for games and detailed tactical
knowledge, that caught the attention of Liverpool, who brought him to
Anfield in 2004 to replace Gerard Houllier.
There, he won the Champions League in his first season and followed it up with the FA Cup the following year.
Liverpool were also runners-up in
the League Cup final in 2005 and the Champions League final in 2007,
where AC Milan avenged their defeat two years earlier.