The coach has attempted to lift his players after their disappointing defeat at Villarreal on Sunday night, but the club appears to be losing faith in the 55-year-old.
MADRID -- Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has attempted to motivate his players after their latest loss at Villarreal on Sunday by telling them: "We have to keep working and we have to believe in ourselves."
There were long faces as Real returned to training on Monday after the 1-0 defeat at El Madrigal, where Madrid not only lost the chance to gain ground on rival Barcelona after the Catalans could only draw at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, but saw the deficit grow by another point to fall five behind both the Blaugrana and Atletico at the top of the table after 15 rounds of La Liga.