Former Napoli coach Rafa Benitez reveals he told Luciano Spalletti the Partenopei would have won the title ahead of their Champions League fixture with Liverpool in December: ‘He remained silent…’
Napoli meet Milan in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Stadio Maradona on Tuesday night.
Benitez, a former coach for Napoli and Inter, previewed the fixture in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Spanish tactician sees Spalletti’s boys as the favourite to qualify for the semis.
“Milan and Napoli have impressed me, but the Azzurri are stronger and I believe they can make it. With Victor Osimhen, they’ll be more confident,” he said.
Osimhen missed the first leg at San Siro last week due to a muscle injury but will start in Naples tonight.
The Nigeria international is Serie A’s leading scorer and has netted four goals in five Champions League games this term.
The Partenopei are en route to winning their third Serie A title, being 14 points above Lazio with eight games remaining.
“In Liverpool, I told Spalletti they would have won the title, but he remained silent to avoid bad luck. Elimination [from the Champions League] would change nothing, Luciano is guiding the team perfectly,” claimed Benitez.
“Napeolitans feel the team inside them. This is why it [the day they win the Scudetto] will be memorable for the city and the people and for every fan worldwide. I’ve met Napoli fans everywhere, with a huge common passion.”
Benitez spent two seasons at Napoli, winning one Supercoppa and one Coppa Italia.
He also remained in charge of Inter for six months after José Mourinho’s Treble win in 2010. Benitez admitted that the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 away win over Benfica last week was the “most surprising” result in the first-leg quarter-finals.
“I expected a better Benfica, but the Nerazzurri deserve the praise. I liked Napoli even if they didn’t have Osimhen, Real Madrid’s victory was predictable, while Bayern deserved to score at least one goal against Manchester City.”
However, with 11 defeats in Serie A this term, Simone Inzaghi’s position is under scrutiny and the club could even sack him if he fails to reach the Champions League semis.
“I don’t like when a colleague could lose his job, Inzaghi’s work has been positive overall. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in the Champions League quarter-finals. Let’s see how it continues, perhaps it may be a memorable season,” argued Benitez, who lastly discussed a potential return to the dug-out: “I want to be sure, my staff and I have been competitive in many countries, football is more focused on youth sectors now, we’ve made it many times, but you always need something to invest.
“Return to Serie A? Why not? No preclusion, as long as the context is the right one.”