Inter Splits With Benitez
Inter split with Rafa Benitez after six months
Hard times come easy for the Spanish manager. Inter Milano sacked the Spanish manager after just six months spent at Giuseppe Meazza. Winner of the Italian Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, Rafa Benitez leaves Inter seventh in the Serie A table with 23 points, 13 behind leaders and rivals AC Milan, and four losses this season. Inter won just one game in the last seven, thing which must have had a solid contribution in this way. On contrast, the 50-year-old Spaniard leaves the squad to UEFA Champions League knock-out stages.
Benitez was appointed as manager in June, following Jose Mourinho’s departure to Real Madrid. The Spanish coach has been also left by Liverpool due to poor results. Despite Inter president Massimo Moratti claimed that Benitez’s job is secure, the club made the announcement this Thursday. “Inter and Rafael Benitez announce that, mutually and with satisfaction on each side, they have reached an agreement for the early resolution of his contract,” read the statement.
The two sides signed a two-year deal initially, but it was broken after half a year. Said Benitez: “I want to thank everyone for the support received during my experience at Inter and on behalf of my staff I personally want to thank the players, employees and fans of the club who had confidence in us.” He would also thank the president Moratti, who is known for his patience, for choosing him this summer.
Benitez is a two-time winner of the Spanish league with Valencia, whom he also helped raise the UEFA Cup trophy in 2004. During his six-year managership with the Reds, the Spaniard brought Liverpool one Champions League trophy, a UEFA Super Cup and the English FA Cup in 2005, plus a Community Shield won one year later.
Zenit St Petersburg and former AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti was rumored to join Inter, but the Russians chose finally to keep the Italian manager at the Petrovsky Stadium. Zenit just finished the Europa League group stages with maximum points. Inter’s decision comes just few days after the Spaniard brought Nerazzurri the FIFA Club World Cup. They beat TP Mazembe 3-0 to claim their first international trophy.
