Napoli contact Rafael Benitez over return

David Lynch

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 1 min read

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has reportedly contacted Rafael Benitez over a potential return to the Italian club.

Benitez is on the market once again after bringing an 18-month stint with Chinese outfit Dalian Professional to a close last week due to concerns relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Spaniard has made it known that he is looking to get straight back into work, news that will cettainly have caught the attention of clubs across Europe.

And Corriere dello Sport have now claimed that the 60-year-old could be in line for a second spell with Serie A side Napoli.

The Naples club have lost five of their last 10 outings in all competitions and sit outside the Champions League qualification spots in the Italian top-flight.

Di Laurentiis and other members of the board gave current manager Gennaro Gattuso the dreaded vote of confidence on Wednesday in the aftermath of back-to-back defeats to Juventus and Verona.

However, the former Rangers midfielder’s job is believed to be on the line when Napoli face Spezia in the Coppa Italia on Thursday evening.

Should they fail to win that game, then a return for Benitez could well be on the cards.

The 60-year-old spent two seasons at the Stadio San Paolo after succeeding Walter Mazzarri in 2013.

He led the club to Coppa Italia success and Champions League qualification in his first season in charge.

However, his second campaign saw Napoli slip out of the top four and fail to add to their trophy cabinet.