Former Inter, Liverpool, Napoli, and Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez feels that the Nerazzurri’s performances in the Champions League this season have come as something of a pleasant surprise.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInter1908, the coach also defended current Nerazzurri boss Simone Inzaghi for the job he’s been doing despite some criticism received.
Inter have a big opportunity in the Champions League tomorrow, something that Vice-President Javier Zanetti has observed.
If the Nerazzurri can hang on to their advantage from the first leg of their quarterfinal tie against Benfica, they will book their place in the final four of Europe’s top club competition.
This is something that many didn’t expect given the form of the two teams involved in the tie, with the Portuguese league-leaders among the form teams in all of Europe so far this season.
However, in truth, defying these kinds of predictions has become something of a raison d’etre in the Champions League for Inter this season, all the way back to escaping from a “group of death” that saw them drawn against Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Nerazzurri will hope that they can keep defying their doubters and critics, and those of Simone Inzaghi, and reach not just the semifinals but beyond that.
Asked if there were any surprises for him in the first leg of the four quarterfinal ties, Benitez replied “Inter, above all.”
“I was expecting a better performance from Benfica, but the credit to the Nerazzurri also has to be recognized – congratulations to them.”
” I liked the performance from Napoli, even if they missed Osimhen,” the Spanish coach said of another of his former sides.
“Real’s victory was predictable,” he added, “Bayern deserved at least one goal against City.”
As for the situation of Inter coach Inzaghi, rumoured to be on the verge of a sacking, Benitez said that “As a colleague, I don’t like to see when a coach is at risk of losing their job.”
“Overall, the job Inzaghi that has done has been positive, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the quarterfinals in the Champions League.”
“Let’s see how it goes on,” he said of the Nerazzurri’s run-in, “maybe it’ll still be a season to remember.”
