I got suspended at Liverpool, punched teammate at Galatasaray but now I’m one of Europe’s most highly-rated coaches
Former Liverpool winger Albert Riera has been named as the new manager of Bordeaux.
The 41-year-old was only named as manager of Slovenian top tier side Celje, but has quit just a few months into his first season there.
English football fans will remember him for his two-year stint at Liverpool, plus brief spells at Man City and later at Watford.
Riera started his career at Mallorca, before joining Bordeaux and then heading back to Spain with Espanyol.
In 2008, he was signed by Rafael Benitez at the Premier League club for £8million — but the two did not have the best of relationships.
He was suspended in 2010 following outspoken comments about the then-Liverpool boss.
In his interview with Radio Marca, Riera said: «When the coach says nothing to you and you are well, with no physical problems and training well, you cannot help but think it must be something personal.»
Riera would never play another game for Liverpool after those comments, being sidelined for the rest of the season and then sold to Olympiacos in the summer.
Benitez left that summer too, but the former winger later revealed that he apologised to his countryman.
“Now that I am a coach, I see it differently,” Riera told the Liverpool Echo. “Many times I have apologised to him (Benitez), to many coaches that I had during my career.
“As a player, you just see yourself, you see that you want to play, you just see your part. But it’s so difficult to keep 25 players happy, it’s impossible. You have to make decisions as a coach, someone will like it and someone won’t like it. It’s like this, as simple as that."
Controversy continued to follow Riera after he left Anfield, with him reportedly having a fight with Felipe Melo at Galatasaray.
He would also later be ‘sacked’ by
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