Spanish press reveal extent of Rafa Benitez’s dressing-down after Clasico defeat

Rafa Benitez may have the public backing of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, but it appears to be a very different story behind the scenes.

The former Liverpool boss can't exactly have expected a pat on the pack after Madrid's 4-0 defeat to Barcelona, but Perez reportedly went full-throttle with his face-to-face criticism of the manager. According to Marca, the president blasted Benitez in front of a number of players, after a second-half collapse brought about the club's biggest Clasico defeat since 2010. 'Pérez's anger was plain for all to see, he was exasperated by the team's display, and to make matters worse, it was in front of their own fans,' the paper claims. Perez held a press conference on the Monday after the game, in which he said Benitez "has all our support and all our confidence". But the 'drastic improvement' is reportedly required if the 55-year-old, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti over the summer, hopes to still be in a job at the start of next season.