The Rafael Benitez saga in Madrid may never have taken off, if a certain coach had said yes to Real Madrid this summer. 

Roma fans will be shocked to hear that the much-reviled Rudi Garcia turned the Merengues down this summer, at least according to La Repubblica. 

Having been spurned, the Bernabeu club turned to Rafael Benitez, who has earned mixed reviews since arriving in Madrid, and whose club will ironically face Roma in the Champions League Round of 16.

Garcia's critics certainly aren't mild: despite the club drawing with Napoli and sitting in fifth place in Serie A, Giallorossi fans are fed up with the Frenchman, and what they call a predictable, unimaginitive approach.