Benítez: I could’ve joined Juve, changed Napoli’s mindset, Inter signed no one | OneFootball

Rafa Benítez speaks at the Trento Sports Festival: “Getting promoted three times with small clubs is proof that you’re a real coach. In Naples we changed the mentality; at Inter there were too many thirty-somethings and no new signings.”

Benítez: “I could have gone to Juve; at Napoli I changed the mentality. At Inter I couldn’t accept that they didn’t buy anyone.”

Rafa Benítez is back talking about Italy, football, and life choices. On the stage of the Trento Sports Festival, the Spanish coach—who has built a career across the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A—revisited the key moments of his journey: from the historic comeback in Istanbul with Liverpool to his stints at Inter and Napoli. And, surprisingly, he also revealed a behind-the-scenes story about Juventus.

Benítez and the night in Istanbul: “It was the most beautiful night of many Liverpool fans’ lives”

Rafa Benítez can only start with his masterpiece: the 2005 Champions League final, won in a comeback by Liverpool against Milan.

“I still have Liverpool fans stop me and tell me that was the most beautiful night of their lives,” he recalls. “We reached that final by beating Juventus and Chelsea, and then we won in Istanbul against Milan in that way. It was spectacular.”

Benítez also admits to his regrets:

“The Athens final, two years later, is one of the two matches I would replay, along with the 2005 Intercontinental Cup. There we played better, but we lost. In Istanbul we played worse and we won: that’s football.”

“Promoted three times with small clubs: it means you’re a real coach”

During his talk, Benítez stressed how important it is to build victories from the ground up:

“If you succeed in multiple leagues, it means you’re worth something as a coach. But being promoted with small clubs, as happened to me with Extremadura, Tenerife, and Newcastle, means you’re a real coach.”

Three promotions earned in different contexts which, according to the Spaniard, are his true calling card: “In those experiences you learn everything. You don’t have great stars there; you have to create mentality, organization, and a work culture.”

Benítez and Inter: “I had 15 players over 30 and no new signings”

Inevitably, he touched on his time at Inter, which came after José Mourinho’s winning cycle.

“At Inter I won two trophies, but I didn’t like the way my dismissal was handled,” he explains. “I had 15 players over 30, fresh off great successes, but no one new came in. Even Moratti admitted it was a mistake.”

Benítez remembers those months with a mix of pride and bitterness: “The group was strong, but it needed renewal. Instead, I found myself managing a tired team, without new incentives. And when you don’t have new players, even changing the mentality becomes harder.”

“At Napoli I changed the mentality: with me the team started playing to win”

Benítez speaks with great affection about his time in Naples, calling it one of the best of his career.

“From day one in Naples it was a special experience. There we managed to change the team’s mentality. I don’t like teams that settle for mid-table. I play to win, and with me Napoli really started to go for it.”

Under his guidance, the Azzurri won a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana, but above all gained a European identity: “Naples is a demanding, passionate city. There you understand what it means to live football every day.”

“In 2010 I could have coached Juventus”

Among the various stops in his career, Benítez reveals a previously hidden backstory:

“In 2010, while I was at Liverpool, I had contacts with Juventus. I was interested, but in the end nothing came of it. I prefer not to say why.”

An episode that could have changed Serie A history: the Spaniard, in fact, was on a steep international rise after winning the Champions League with the Reds and the Club World Cup.

Heirs and the future: “I don’t see a new Benítez, but I could return to the bench”

Today Benítez works with UEFA, but he doesn’t rule out a return to the pitch:

“There have been offers, even from national teams. But I want to coach to win. I’m not interested in going to a World Cup and losing every match. That’s not for me.”

As for his “heirs,” the Spaniard remains cautious:

“Many of my former players have become coaches. One I didn’t expect was Cristian Chivu. He’s intelligent, he has a good team, and he’ll do well. But I don’t think there’s an heir to me in today’s football: everyone has to build their own identity.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.