Benitez was the main reason that his Mexican America club
(his last Mexican club) won it's record- equalling eleventh title in 2013. He joined America after an unsuccessful one year loan in Birmingham, where he scored only 3 goals in 30 league games in the 2009-2010 season under a defensive minded Scottish coach ( Alex MacLeish). He joined America for a then record Mexican fee of $10 million in 2011 and left them for El Jaish in Qatar in 2013. He scored a total of 51 goals in 91 games for Santos Laguna and also 52 goals in 79 games for America. Benitez was so prolific that he was the highest goal scorer in four different seasons in Mexico. This made him the best player in North America for those seasons . Meanwhile Benitez's father was the first Ecuadorian player to play professional football in Europe at Xerez in Spain, while he didn't live with his parents until later in his life, because his mother left for Italy in search of greener pastures. This made Christian grow with his grandmother in northwestern Esmeraldas of Ecuador. Benitez therefore did lots of menial jobs in order to make ends meet during that period .
Years before his death, Benitez had this to say about growing up, " I missed out on many necessities, but throughout my life I liked soccer and thanks to God I succeeded in it. I used to go to houses to pick up garbage, I cleaned shoes, thousands of things. Sometimes I had to go out to find something to eat , sometimes I washed cars."
Things changed when aged 16, he made his debut for El Nacional in Ecuador in 1997 and leaving for Santos Laguna in 2007 of which the rest is history. He also won the Best Serie A player award with El Nacional in 2006. He played 58 games for Ecuador and scored 24 goals. He played for Ecuador in the 2006 FIFA World Cup In Germany and also 2 Copa America tournaments before his death.
Benitez died on July 29, 2013 due to respiratory failure in a Doha hospital. He played only one game for El Jaish against Qatar SC in the Sheikh Jassim Club on 28 July 2013. The next day he was rushed to the hospital after he complained of acute stomach pain and he initially didn't receive immediate medical attention but died afterwards of cardiac arrest (respiratory failure) aged 27 on July 29 2013.
His burial was well attended by many including the then Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. His Cortège received a police motorcycles escort through crowed streets to a private intermet. There is a statue of him outside the Santos Laguna's Torreon Stadium to show the impact he had on Mexican football.
Benitez left behind a pair of twins and a son (3) and his wife Cleber Chala.
No comments:
Post a Comment