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Rafael Benitez has moulded Napoli into a force to be reckoned with
In the hearts of Liverpool fans, Rafa Benitez will always hold a very special place. But since that memorable night in Istanbul when the Reds claimed a Champions League victory against all odds, he witnessed his Liverpool side disintegrate in the face of stars leaving and injuries to key players, and after brief troubled spells at Internazionale and Chelsea, he now finds himself at Serie A runners-up Napoli with something to prove.
His return to these shores produced a fascinating match-up with Swansea, also a side with a distinctly Spanish twist due to the influence of former boss Michael Laudrup. Benitez took the game very seriously indeed, ostensibly only resting Raul Albiol and Pepe Reina from his starting line-up in south Wales. As it was, the Swans dominated the game in shots, possession, and passing, as Benitez set out his stall not to lose and rely on his exceptional home record to see his side through.
Swansea head to Napoli on Thursday no doubt ruing the missed opportunities at the Liberty Stadium, with the San Paolo a venue where Napoli have lost only once in all competitions this season, a sloppy 1-0 defeat to Parma in the middle of a November slump.
While the Napoli performance may not have wowed English fans, in Italy, Benitez is starting to rebuff his critics. His summer dealings made his intentions very clear: Edison Cavani’s €65million move to PSG gave him the freedom to make 15 signings, included three from Real Madrid in the form of José Callejon, Raul Albiol, and Gonzalo Higuaín.
He was given extra cash on top of the Cavani windfall to spend, and built a squad of players he knew and trusted to repeat Napoli’s feat of finishing second in Serie A, six points clear of AC Milan.
On the face of it, Benitez has not had the best start possible. He will not thank the draw-makers at UEFA after Napoli were dumped into a Champions League group alongside Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, and a rejuvenated Arsenal side. He was in fact one goal away from miraculously pulling his side out of said group, which probably saved him from the daggers of the Italian press, who had criticised him heavily for his tactical errors which cost the Partenopei their crucial league game against champions Juventus in November.
However, Napoli find themselves only six points behind second-placed Roma, who have faltered after their unbeaten start to the season, and crashed out of the Coppa Italia to Benitez’s side after a romping 3-0 second leg win at the imposing Stadio San Paolo.
The first two goals in that cup victory were scored by two of Benitez’s former Galacticos, Callejon and Higuain, who alongside Gokhan Inler and Albiol, have been central to Napoli’s success this term, which is a testament to Benitez’s ability to attract top players, and then get the best out of them.
The performance against Roma was a totally different one from that which they produced against Juventus three months earlier. Centred around Inler’s sensational performance alongside midfield partner Frello, “the Little Donkeys” – their nickname in Italian is I Ciucciarelli - fought like stallions to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg and then hammer home their advantage, picking off a vulnerable Roma side.
It is no overstatement to attribute part of that victory at the very least to Benitez’s ability to galvanise his sides, especially when under pressure. Since those autumnal league defeats to Roma, Juve, and then at home to Parma, Benitez has led his side to a run of 11 league games of which they have lost just one.
Furthermore, Benitez will not take his Europa League campaign lightly; it is a wide open tournament with only Juventus and Valencia seeming to be serious threats to Napoli, and Benitez will certainly fancy his chances of some silverware, along with his Coppa Italia push. Let’s not forget he did win the trophy with Chelsea last season.
The Spaniard engenders a fighting spirit in all his teams, and Napoli’s resilience in the face of a brutal Italian press and a highly competitive Serie A is no different. They will not win the league this year, but if he is given sufficient time, Benitez’s group of little donkeys may well become Italy’s very best stable.
