A Season on the Brink - Guillem Balague

''ENTHRALLING'' FourFourTwo''STIRRING'' Dublin Herald''FASCINATING'' Red and White Kop''ASTONISHING'' Bleacher ReportThe Sunday Times BestsellerTwentieth anniversary edition, fully updated with a new foreword from Rafael BenitezWhen Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-05 season, the reaction of many fans was ''Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?''. After a wonderful spell at Valencia, the Spaniard arrived to take over Liverpool''s famous Boot Room, determined to change the club''s fortunes and win over a disillusioned Kop. In just one season, Benitez''s importation of Spanish players, coaching methods and diet led to a revolution, usurping José Mourinho''s Chelsea to reach the European Champions League final in Istanbul. It was a match that would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. At half-time, Liverpool were 3-0 down to Carlo Ancelotti''s AC Milan, a team many regarded as the best in the world, filled with stars such as Paolo Maldini, Kaká and Andrea Pirlo. However, against all the odds, Liverpool produced a stunning comeback, with goals from club captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Šmicer and Xabi Alonso, before a dramatic penalty shoot-out saw the Reds clinch European glory. Featuring exclusive interviews with Benitez himself, assistant manager Pako Ayestarán and key first-team players, this is the behind-the-scenes story of Rafa''s remarkable success with Liverpool.