Benitez could return to the Premier League as it emerges he will leave Napoli

Rafa Benitez leaving Napoli at the end of the season... is former Liverpool and Chelsea boss returning to the Premier League?
Rafa Benitez has been linked with a return to the Premier League
Newcastle currently without a manager after Alan Pardew's departure
Benitez is out of contract with Napoli at the end of the season
Former Liverpool and Chelsea boss has turned down role with Peru
By MATT MORLIDGE FOR MAILONLINE 
PUBLISHED: 09:49, 9 January 2015 | UPDATED: 11:11, 9 January 2015
     
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Napoli manager Rafa Benitez will be in charge of a new team next season.
Benitez, 54, has had spells with Liverpool and Chelsea in the Premier League and has most recently been linked with the vacant role at Newcastle with his contract in Serie A expiring at the end of the season.
Benitez could be on his way back to England after it was confirmed he turned down the chance to lead the Peru national team to focus on club management.
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Rafa Benitez has been linked with a return to the Premier League and his agent says he is leaving Napoli
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The Spaniard lifts the Champions League with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in Istanbul 2005
The South American country wanted Benitez to lead them to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
'In Peru, they can forget about Benitez,' his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon was quoted as saying in the Mirror. 'He will not be a national coach but will coach at another club.'
Benitez will be out of contract in the summer, despite winning the Italian Super Cup with Napoli last month.
The former Real Madrid and Valencia boss is well respected in England, having won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005.
Benitez was an unpopular appointment among Chelsea fans but won the Europa League in 2013 at the end of his short spell with the club.
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Benitez was criticised in his last spell in England with Chelsea but still claimed the Europa League
Rafa Benitez's famous wife swapping joke at Napoli



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i think Newcastle is around Rafas level and he will do well there.

Newcastle is the obvious one right now but if City don't win anything this season I wonder would they go for Rafa.

Newcastle is the obvious one right now but if City don't win anything this season I wonder would they go for Rafa.

errr how about a snowballs chance in hell.

i think Newcastle is around Rafas level and he will do well there.

....

Think he will swerve the Geordies....

Ain't Wenger looking to move upstairs?

....

Think he will swerve the Geordies....

Ain't Wenger looking to move upstairs?

i will give you 500 quid if e ends up at any top four club, if he ends up at ours i will give you our familes season ticket as im done.

i will give you 500 quid if e ends up at any top four club, if he ends up at ours i will give you our familes season ticket as im done.

F**k off mate, I wouldn't deprive your family £500 holiday money & that of seeing a legend managing us again

Bet it'll kill you though if he did

i think Newcastle is around Rafas level and he will do well there.

The geordies to win silverware then eh.

F**k off mate, I wouldn't deprive your family £500 holiday money & that of seeing a legend managing us again

Bet it'll kill you though if he did

Fowlers a legend woudnt want him here neither.

Fowlers a legend woudnt want him here neither.

Different type of legend though, one was a lethal goal scorer the other a trophy machine.

As long as Ayre is here no chance of Rafa returning.

i will give you 500 quid if e ends up at any top four club, if he ends up at ours i will give you our familes season ticket as im done.

Season ticket to ? Goodison ? Stamford Bridge ? And what about the other 8 avatars are they done too?

It would be good to see Rafa back in the PL again. He deserves to be managing in the best league.

Think Rafa would be an asset to any Premier League club, anyway good luck to him, where ever he ends up.

i think Newcastle is around Rafas level and he will do well there.

You think thats his level fair enough but whem did they compete for top honours then because given the resources that's what this guy does .So it hasn't worked in Italy , moureen got sacked by chelsea and Real does that mske him poor as well .Scratches head in dis belief.

I've thought for a while that Benitez might be on his way at Napoli, evidently their people didn't get as excited as some of ours about winning that exhibition thing in Dohah. In truth he's not had a disaster there I don't think (certainly nothing to compare with his Inter Milan experience) but neither has he ripped it up either. He took over when they had just finished second in the league and were harbouring ambitions to become winners in the near future, he'll leave them 3rd/4th in all probablity but a mile behind the top two. Brendan would probably kill for a similar performance to follow his second place, but I suppose he would argue that at least it was him who took the team there in the first place.

One things for sure, Brendan better buck his ideas up sharpish because if Benitez is back on the Wirrall and looking for work come the end of the season, there'll be plenty on the forums and phone-ins who will be laying a red carpet miles long in anticipation. Infact come to that, Brendan could probably do the cup treble and they'd still want him out and Benitez back so it probably doesn't make much difference on reflection. 

I've thought for a while that Benitez might be on his way at Napoli, evidently their people didn't get as excited as some of ours about winning that exhibition thing in Dohah. In truth he's not had a disaster there I don't think (certainly nothing to compare with his Inter Milan experience) but neither has he ripped it up either. He took over when they had just finished second in the league and were harbouring ambitions to become winners in the near future, he'll leave them 3rd/4th in all probablity but a mile behind the top two. Brendan would probably kill for a similar performance to follow his second place, but I suppose he would argue that at least it was him who took the team there in the first place.

One things for sure, Brendan better buck his ideas up sharpish because if Benitez is back on the Wirrall and looking for work come the end of the season, there'll be plenty on the forums and phone-ins who will be laying a red carpet miles long in anticipation. Infact come to that, Brendan could probably do the cup treble and they'd still want him out and Benitez back so it probably doesn't make much difference on reflection. 

Interesting Mick - there's a lad in my office whose old man is from Naples and the boy is a mad Napoli fan. He says they love him. Was voted really high in an all time Napoli managers poll wee while back he said.

For me? Nothing but affection for Rafa - fundamentally just a very good man, a very good manager and a Liverpool great in my opinion.

Just hope things work out as he would wish.

Beat 3-1 at Home last night by Juventus, who look like they're a cut above everyone else in the league (and a decent side by any standards in fairness).

Interesting Mick - there's a lad in my office whose old man is from Naples and the boy is a mad Napoli fan. He says they love him. Was voted really high in an all time Napoli managers poll wee while back he said.

For me? Nothing but affection for Rafa - fundamentally just a very good man, a very good manager and a Liverpool great in my opinion.

Just hope things work out as he would wish.

There can only be one club our man would wish to manage mate.
The chances of his wish being granted under JWH & Co are zero.

There can only be one club our man would wish to manage mate.
The chances of his wish being granted under JWH & Co are zero.

You're right Stuey.

In fairness - I honestly didn't mean it as a coded message. Just that I consider him to be a genuinely decent man and I want good things to happen to him.

To be 100% clear (not aimed at you mate).......it's not a sly dig at BR......

You're right Stuey.

In fairness - I honestly didn't mean it as a coded message. Just that I consider him to be a genuinely decent man and I want good things to happen to him.

To be 100% clear (not aimed at you mate).......it's not a sly dig at BR......

It was 100% clear mate with no hidden agendas, any other interpretation is misguided - no worries bud.