Benitez joins Napoli after leaving Chelsea Former Inter Milan, Liverpool and Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez will return to Italy to take charge of Serie A club Napoli. "Rafa Benitez is the new manager of Napoli," club president Aurelio De Laurentiis said on his Twitter feed on Monday.

The Spaniard replaces Walter Mazzarri who quit after the team finished second behind Juventus in Serie A this season to qualify for the Champions League. Mazzarri was in charge for just under four years, building a strong attacking side which twice qualified for the Champions League and won the Italian Cup in 2012.

He said on resigning that he felt he had taken Napoli as far as he could. Benitez was in charge of Inter for the first half of the 2010-11 season after replacing treble-winning Jose Mourinho. With the team lying a modest sixth in December of that season, the Spaniard's job was under threat, but he appeared to earn a reprieve when he led them to victory in the Club World Cup in Japan.

Benitez then angered Inter owner Massimo Moratti by demanding reinforcements and was sacked before Christmas. He then remained out of coaching for nearly two years until Chelsea hired him to replace 2012 Champions League-winning Roberto Di Matteo in an interim capacity....more    
09:02 AM, May 28, 2013

Mazzarri takes over Inter after Stramaccioni sacked Rome: Inter Milan appointed former Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri as their new coach on Friday after sacking Andrea Stramaccioni following a disappointing ninth-place finish in Serie A. The 2010 Champions League winners have suffered a series of blows and gone through five coaches since their unprecedented treble under Jose Mourinho. "FC Internazionale would like to thank Andrea Stramaccioni for the great commitment and professionalism he showed in a particularly difficult...  
08:58 AM, May 25, 2013

Mazzarri quits as Napoli coach after end of season Rome: Walter Mazzarri has quit as Napoli coach following the final match of a Serie A season that ended with the team finishing runner-up. Mazzarri had been in charge of Napoli for four seasons and steered the team to the Champions League for the second time in three years. He says "at this point I think it is only right to either change scenery or have some time off. If...  
09:22 AM, May 20, 2013

Serie A: Napoli held by Torino, Lazio thrashed Rome: A defensive blunder by Napoli allowed a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Torino on Sunday, hurting the southern club's title chances. Lazio also dropped back after getting beat 4-0 by Catania, while Fiorentina were the day's big winner after beating Cagliari 4-1 to jump ahead of Lazio into fourth place. After sitting out Napoli's last two matches with a minor injury, Edinson Cavani celebrated his return by...  
09:05 AM, Nov 05, 2012

Napoli coach banned from Chelsea matches Nyon: Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has lost his appeal to UEFA challenging a two-match touchline ban, and is barred from the Champions League round-of-16 matches against Chelsea. UEFA increased Mazzarri's punishment for "improper conduct," after he pushed Villarreal forward Nilmar to protest time-wasting tactics during a group match in December. UEFA says its appeals panel added a third match to the sanction. The additional ban was deferred for a two-year...  
03:47 PM, Feb 17, 2012