Benitez likes City ‘rumour’

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been touted with a return to the Premier League and said he liked the "rumour" linking him to Manchester City.

Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has been touted with a return to the Premier League and said he liked the "rumour" linking him to Manchester City.

Published Apr 23, 2015

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Rome - Rafa Benitez is still unsure of his Napoli future despite leading a revival that has boosted their flagging Champions League qualification hopes.

The Spaniard was under pressure after his side slipped from third to sixth in Serie A but have won three straight in all competitions, scoring 10 go als in the process.

Fourth-placed Napoli play Sampdoria, one place below them, on Sunday with Benitez yet to decide if he will renew his contract at the end of the season.

The former Liverpool boss has been linked with a return to the Premier League and Benitez said he liked the “rumour” mentioning his name in conjunction with Manchester City.

“I've lived in England for many years and I know which teams work hard, and City are one of them. I like this rumour regarding Manchester City but there's really nothing more to it,” Benitez told a press conference ahead of Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg match against VfL Wolfsburg.

He added: “We want to get back to the Champions League, a competition that hands out money and prestige to a club.

“I want to leave Napoli as high as possible in the table and in the Europa League final.

“If (Napoli's) business-plan allows us to be competitive at the highest levels, I'll sit down with my family and discuss our future...”

If Benitez does return to England at the end of the season he could be replaced at Napoli by Sunday's opposing manager Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Elsewhere, Juventus look to secure one of the two wins they need, with seven games remaining, to win a fourth straight title.

It will not come easy as they play on Sunday against city-rivals Torino who are still seething from the stoppage-time defeat they suffered against Juve in November.

Second-placed Lazio host lowly Chievo Verona while AS Roma, in third level on points with their city rivals, should welcome back Ivorian winger Gervinho from injury when they travel to Inter Milan. – Reuters

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