Skip to content

Italian Super Cup: The spotlight is firmly on Rafael Benitez as his Napoli team prepare to face Juventus on Monday

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez is on the brink of another trophy to add to his collection but as ever with the Spaniard, the situation is more complicated than it might seem, writes Adam Bate...

The bond between Rafael Benitez and Liverpool supporters endures. So as night follows day, a little bit of strife for the Anfield incumbent coupled with uncertainty over the Spaniard’s employment situation always seemed likely to lead to speculation.

Benitez himself had fanned the flames last week, revealing to reporters that he’d recently been approached regarding two jobs. While any suggestion one of those clubs was Liverpool was soon quashed by the Napoli coach, Monday’s Italian Super Cup against Juventus is an opportunity for him to remind everyone that this is a manager with the trophy-winning habit.

Live Italian Super Cup Final

Cup success has been the recurring theme of Benitez’s career. Even before he landed the big one with Liverpool in 2005, there was a UEFA Cup triumph at Valencia to go with two La Liga wins. The fraught interlude at Inter still featured an Italian Super Cup and victory in the Club World Cup in what turned out to be his final game in charge.

The Chelsea experience in 2013 was survived with dignity as Benitez won eight and drew two of his last 10 games at the helm – including a Europa League triumph over Benfica in his penultimate match. And now, that habit of a trophy preceding an imminent parting of the ways could be set to continue if the doom-mongers in Naples are to be believed.

Benitez is among the highest-paid managers in Serie A but his contract expires at the end of the season and he finds himself under increasing pressure. The dissatisfaction at the club might seem odd given that Benitez helped them to their highest-ever points tally in finishing third last season as well as winning the Coppa Italia.

But there is frustration at the way Aurelio de Laurentiis has restricted funding at the club and Benitez has not been immune to the criticism. Losing a crucial Champions League play-off against Athletic Bilbao saw Napoli surrender millions and naturally soured the mood around the city.

Image: Rafael Benitez: Long-term future at Napoli is uncertain with his contract expiring in June

In a response to the suggestion Napoli should compete for the title this season, Benitez’s claim in September that “the squads with the best turnover are the strongest” damned his own efforts. How did that explain being outplayed over two legs by an Athletic side on a fraction of the budget? A home defeat to Chievo first time out at the Stadio San Paolo soon added to the gloom.

Recent Form

Napoli have lost just two of their last 18 matches, although that run does include seven draws.

The sense of inexorable progress that had surrounded Napoli since their rise back through the divisions has stalled. Following the Bilbao disappointment, only 6,500 season tickets were sold this season – extraordinary for a club that managed to get 51,000 into the Stadio San Paolo for a Serie C game in 2006 – and Benitez has struggled to generate that same feeling of excitement.

Having made light of the loss of Edinson Cavani last term by forging a new partnership with the signings of Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon, the old alchemy has been absent this time around. Walter Gargano’s return to the midfield after being deemed surplus to requirements felt symbolic, while the old issues in defence have been exacerbated due to the loss of Pepe Reina.

Defensive issues

The 39 goals conceded last season – far more than rivals Juventus and Roma – had scuppered any lingering title ambitions and it’s been a similar story in 2014/15. The aforementioned top two boast the best defensive records in Italy but Napoli rank among the bottom half on that score having already let in 20 goals this term.

Gonzalo Higuain Napoli Champions League
Image: Gonzalo Higuain: Mixed season

Higuain has cut a frustrated figure, enduring his first season in Europe without Champions League football, and Callejon was reportedly disappointed to have been denied a move back to Madrid when interest from Atletico was ignored by the club. It’s typical of the off-field issues that are overshadowing Napoli’s recent efforts that have seen them claw their way back up the table.

The passionate Napoli support demands more than mere results. They seek commitment. And while Benitez, a fluent Italian speaker, has their respect, doubts remain about his desire to stay in the city. The feeling that his heart belongs to Liverpool has been perpetuated by an October trip back to England to see his family there. There is no sign of a new contract being agreed.

But there is still the chance to bring more silverware to Naples. The Partenopei will be underdogs against Juve on Monday but they are not without hope. “This squad has shown they can play big games against any opponent,” says Benitez. “Perhaps what we are missing is continuity.”

Should Napoli win, the only continuity for Benitez is likely to be his exit despite producing a trophy in his final campaign. As with Chelsea and Inter, there are factors at play beyond the fireworks that accompany the winners. But such a triumph will give Benitez and his admirers the chance to celebrate a twelfth major honour. And one that won’t go unnoticed on Merseyside.

Watch the Italian Super Cup live on Sky Sports 5 HD from 5.25pm on Monday.

Around Sky