Following the recent departure of manager Walter Mazzarri, Italian football club Napoli is all set to welcome former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez to the team.
While all the details have yet be ironed out since there is no official announcement of the move, multiple outlets are reporting that Napoli and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis have in fact contacted the 53-year-old coach and say that both sides have come to an agreement.
"I've given myself a birthday gift, I've signed Benitez," De Laurentiis said to Yahoo Sports. "I'll make it official in the next few days, as Benitez needs to end things with Chelsea. He'll have a two-year contract, no longer. We need to get to know each other first, then we'll see."
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Coaching 48 matches on the Chelsea sideline since taking control of the English club in November of 2012, Benitez guided the team to 28 wins, 10 draws and 10 losses including a commendable 15-6-5 mark in Premier League competition.
In addition to stops at Chelsea and Inter Milan, the successful manager enjoyed varying success with Liverpool, Valencia, Valladolid and four other developed soccer clubs since becoming a full-time coach at the start of the 1993 season with the Real Madrid B squad.
Former Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri announced his resignation earlier in the week after his team suffered a 2-1 loss to Roma. Spending four seasons with the club, Mazzarri was clearly emotional upon stepping away from the team.
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"The moment has come for me to reflect," Mazzarri said in a statement on the team's website. "Napoli is a marvelous place, but I am leaving after four years because the players need some new stimulation. I've talked to the lads in the changing room and the president, I was emotional and I hugged everybody. I thank the fans... and all of those who've been close to me in these wonderful years."
The 51-year-old's departure enables Benitez to once again manage a team without the somewhat dreaded "interim" tag. He also inherits a team that will participate in the 2013-2014 Champions League due to their second place finish in Serie A, behind only Juventus this season.
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As the competition in Italy continues to grow on a yearly basis, the move for Napoli to acquire a coach that is fully capable of keeping them among the top clubs in the country will definitely aid them moving forward.
Already an established Italian power, Napoli fans should be excited about the future of the club, soon to be led by Rafael Benitez.
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