David Villa signs for Benitez

Spain are in London this weekend to face England in the friendly at Wembley but Rafael Benítez caught up with the squad before their trip and persuaded a number of them to sign football shirts for him to be auctioned for charity.

As already mentioned on this site, a shirt signed by Spain’s World Cup winning coach Vicente Del Bosque is up for auction and all proceeds from the sale will go the various charities that the Montse Benítez Foundation (MBF) raises funds for. Del Bosque signed a Spain shirt and the auction for that closes on Friday

Villa signs for Rafa

Villa signs for Rafa

Another player to sign a shirt for Benítez was Barcelona’s David Villa. The forward has a string of honours to his name, not just the two major prizes for his national side but a mountain of silverware at club level too. Domestically his success includes two Copa del Reys, 3 Spanish Super Cups and one La Liga title. In Europe he’s won a UEFA Super Cup and of course has a Champion League winner’s medal, won at Wembley at the end of last season. Find out what Villa wrote on the shirt and how to bid for it here.

Also of Barca and also willing to help MBF is former Manchester United player Gerard Piqué. A product of the Catalan side’s youth academy he returned to his former club after four years in England, although one of the four years was spent back in Spain on loan to Real Zaragoza.

Pique signed shirt

Pique signed Barcelona shirt

Since returning to Catalonia his medal haul has grown substantially and he’s become a firm fixture of the Spanish national side, with whom he won a World Cup.

He’s won three La Liga, one Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and a Club World Cup in a Barcelona shirt and it’s a Barcelona shirt he’s signed for Rafa and MBF.

The three shirts on offer now are the first of what the foundation hope will be many, with Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero, Sergio Ramos, Carlos Puyol, Aimar, Iniesta, Xavi and former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres amongst those who have let Rafa and the foundation aware of their willingness to help.

For more on what the foundation does, and hopes to do, for some of the lesser-known but equally needy Merseyside and Wirral charities check out the website.

Del Bosque with Benitez

The shirt Del Bosque signed for Benitez

 

14 comments

  • David

    What a wonderful thing to do. I love seeing people within football be active within the community and charity.

  • tony

    Rafa has always had class
    YNWA

  • Joe

    Good on the players and good on Rafa. He is a top bloke.

  • Ashfah Hussain

    Rafa should have taken him to Anfield to partner Torres, if only we had the money then. Instead Rafa brought in Lucas, much to be desired.

  • Opoku Derrick

    I think lfc shld sign Higuain instead of Villa

  • swakye jojo

    I always thought he was a weirdo! I think he used to have murray mint on the touch line too. It’s the govt job to provide for the citizens not charities, if the govt can’t do that then it’s failing…!

  • david

    Ashfah Hussain why don’t you shut up and show some respect!

    this isn’t a football matter its for Charity

    [Dodgy bit edited out – watch yourself David please]

  • Steve

    Ashfah, Lucas is one of our most valuable players! When he’s out the team we are MASSIVELY weaker. The lad has really come through extremely well as he’s got older, certainly one of our best players!

    • ant

      and there is our problem when lucas becomes one of your best players it explains why you can’t beat swansea do you think lucas would be even classed as a good sub by man city real madrid barcelona man united or bayern munich no he wouldn’t so why should he be here

  • tom

    Two more years and Rafa will be back at Anfield – only with supportive owners. Kenny will get the club back to the basics that served them well for three decades and maybe have domestic success, and Rafa will come in with his unmatched tactical knowledge and make us kings of Europe again.

  • ant

    benitez was s*** you delueded c***s he wasted 200mil cost us alonso benayoun and mascherano oh and sold arbeloa for 3mil and baught johnson for 18mil hahahaahahaha yeah no awesome manager oh and torres and gerrard were starting to get fed up of him no thats right lets bring him back what a bunch of f*****g c***s

    • Ant – You should come back when you’ve learned how to get capitals, full stops and commas into your comments, and how to cut down on the comedy spellings. Some manners and maybe some basic facts would probably be of help too. Failing that you could always see if there’s a boyband fansite that’ll have you.

  • ant

    oh don’t say he wanted mata villa he could have bought 1 of those each season its not like we needed to buy a ton of players was it instead of 20mil robbie kean 20 mil silva not hard is it