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Newcastle Boss Rafa Benitez Claims Inter Milan Didn't Listen to Him Upon Being Sacked

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Back in 2010, there was an unattainable task of succeeding the great Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. Many managers were linked to the potential job, however, it was Rafa Benitez who was chosen to take on the reigns at the San Siro. 

Benitez has controversially claimed that he was proven right for his criticism of the Milan side as he stated: "They didn't listen to me", in his short stint with them.

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Benitez surprisingly lasted only six months in the Italian capital and won two trophies in that time. However, it paled in comparison to what Mourinho had done in the season prior, winning the treble of the Champions League, Scudetto and Coppa Italia.

Speaking on what had gone wrong in Italy, Benitez has stated: 

“I did will two trophies in just six months at Inter, then got as many with Napoli. I don’t regret those times,

“It’s fair to say I didn’t enjoy Inter as much as Napoli. I almost never got the opportunity to look around the city of Milan. I lived outside the city and the squad wasn’t doing very well in Serie A.

“Inter had in their squad 12 players over the age of 30 and there was the need to change, but (then-President Massimo) Moratti didn’t listen to me.

“The club made that revolution eventually, but only after I had already left. Now, with Chinese investors, they can fight it out with Juventus and Napoli for the Scudetto.

“I’m not sure the level of Serie A has improved overall now, but there are certainly three or four teams that are much stronger, partly due to the influx of money from abroad.

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“Money makes the difference, both to sign good players and above all to avoid them leaving.”

Inter were in a decline after the Mourinho era, as was expected, and with Juventus and Milan both struggling to find their feet, Benitez was expected to guide Inter to glory for the coming years. 

It is clear that Benitez had identified the issue as being at the fault of the board for not allowing him to recruit younger, fresher talent. 

However, the run of lacklustre results for Inter prevented Benitez from ever having any significant impact in the Italian capital. 

Benitez is currently managing Newcastle who face Burnley in their next fixture, while Inter Milan go up against Verona, Monday night.