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Inter Milan have reached an agreement with Rafa Benitez to become their new manager, club president Massimo Moratti has revealed.

The Serie A giants have been looking for a replacement coach since Jose Mourinho opted to take on a fresh challenge at Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The Portuguese coach departed Giuseppe Meazza at the end of the 2009/10 campaign after guiding Inter to an unprecedented Treble, which saw them land the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League.

Once it became apparent that Mourinho was looking to move on, rumours began circulating as to who his possible replacement might be.

Spanish coach Benitez was considered to be a leading candidate and his departure from Liverpool last week opened the door for a switch to Italy.

Inter quickly identified him as their number one choice for the role and have pressed ahead with formal negotiations.

Talks have now reached a conclusion and Moratti confirmed that Benitez has agreed to become Inter's new coach.

"We've got an agreement, we finalised the last details that in any case weren't important," he told the club's official website.

"Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will say when Rafa Benitez will be presented.

"All we need is a counter-signature. In any case I think Benitez is not in Italy and will arrive here for the presentation."

Benitez will arrive at Inter fresh from a six-year stint at Liverpool which saw him land the Champions League crown in 2005 and the 2006 FA Cup.

He also enjoyed considerable success in his homeland with Valencia prior to moving to Anfield, winning two Primera Liga titles and the Uefa Cup.

skysports.com

DoomMerchant wrote:people rave about Wenger like he's a fuclin genius and Rafa's done more for Scousy twats that Wenger's done for Gooners lately.

I hope he does well at Inter. He's ok. Not the worst manager in a high profile job by a long shot. Some iffy transfers, but i'd have Kuyt, Babel, Masch, and Torres in an instant.

cheers

Wonderwall wrote:

DoomMerchant wrote:people rave about Wenger like he's a fuclin genius and Rafa's done more for Scousy twats that Wenger's done for Gooners lately.

I hope he does well at Inter. He's ok. Not the worst manager in a high profile job by a long shot. Some iffy transfers, but i'd have Kuyt, Babel, Masch, and Torres in an instant.

cheers

itlian football will suit benitez' style. However, Doomy, how can you say you would want Kuyt and Babel??? URGH, no thanks..... torres is a good shout and Mascherano is OK but he is no essien.

bigsam wrote:Inter need a coach who have personality like Mourinho, not the case of Benitez

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

johnpb78 wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

He paid nearly £10m for Albert Riera. Case closed.

johnpb78 wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

He paid nearly £10m for Albert Riera. Case closed.

BobKowalski wrote:

johnpb78 wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

He paid nearly £10m for Albert Riera. Case closed.

So? Wenger bought Jeffers for £7m. Taggart bought Veron and Berbatov for £30m a pop. Mourinho is cack at buying players full stop. Fact remains on a net spend of just over £25m per year Rafa got to two CL finals and took dippers to their highest PL finish with some great results and performances along the way. All this against a backdrop of the two owners slugging it out in the background and bleeding the club dry. Sure last season was crap by the previous standards Benitez had set but the media driven consensus that Benitez is a crap manager who has left them in the shite is the usual media bollocks.

The spine of the side with Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano and Reina is first rate and 3 out of those 4 were bought by Rafa. Kuyt is an excellent worker for the side and has a habit of knocking in vital goals at the right time. Alonso was the big miss but people conveniently forget that previously he had gone off the boil and no one would have cared if Rafa had replaced him with Barry when he originally planned. Alonso then hit top form and suddenly everyone was saying how instrumental he was to the side.

It is the usual death by punditry with snap smart arse comments replacing objective analysis. I also fail to see how the Premiership can benefit with Europe's best managers plying their trade elsewhere. The media are wankers because give it a year or so and they will be bemoaning the loss of Benitez and saying what a great record he had at dippers. They cry over the loss of Mourinho yet in his last year here they were riding his back too. MoN keeps Villa treading water and losing when it matters and he has had a 'great season'. Wenger gets 3rd place without a proper striker for most of the season yet 'arry gets 'PL manager of the year' for finishing behind Arsenal with 4 f**king strikers.

Go figure.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:

johnpb78 wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

He paid nearly £10m for Albert Riera. Case closed.

So? Wenger bought Jeffers for £7m. Taggart bought Veron and Berbatov for £30m a pop. Mourinho is cack at buying players full stop. Fact remains on a net spend of just over £25m per year Rafa got to two CL finals and took dippers to their highest PL finish with some great results and performances along the way. All this against a backdrop of the two owners slugging it out in the background and bleeding the club dry. Sure last season was crap by the previous standards Benitez had set but the media driven consensus that Benitez is a crap manager who has left them in the shite is the usual media bollocks.

The spine of the side with Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano and Reina is first rate and 3 out of those 4 were bought by Rafa. Kuyt is an excellent worker for the side and has a habit of knocking in vital goals at the right time. Alonso was the big miss but people conveniently forget that previously he had gone off the boil and no one would have cared if Rafa had replaced him with Barry when he originally planned. Alonso then hit top form and suddenly everyone was saying how instrumental he was to the side.

It is the usual death by punditry with snap smart arse comments replacing objective analysis. I also fail to see how the Premiership can benefit with Europe's best managers plying their trade elsewhere. The media are wankers because give it a year or so and they will be bemoaning the loss of Benitez and saying what a great record he had at dippers. They cry over the loss of Mourinho yet in his last year here they were riding his back too. MoN keeps Villa treading water and losing when it matters and he has had a 'great season'. Wenger gets 3rd place without a proper striker for most of the season yet 'arry gets 'PL manager of the year' for finishing behind Arsenal with 4 f**king strikers.

Go figure.

All three new players there were world class when they were bought. Hardly finds. And those are his only good signings. Rest were fucking pap and at horrible prices. Especially considering how easy it is to get people to Liverpool.

BobKowalski wrote:

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:

johnpb78 wrote:

BobKowalski wrote:Inter have employed him because of his record in Europe. 2 CL finals and a SF whilst at dippers. Consistent top 4 finishes with a net spend over 5 years of £140m (or 1 Lescott per year) and recorded their best PL finish (2nd) with a record total points for a runners up place. Rafa's record at dippers against a background of crappy owners and declining investment is damn good and provided that Inter keep up the level of investment and as with Jose don't let Rafa have total say on transfers he will get them into a CL final again.

On a personal level Rafa mugged them for £6m and landed one of the best club jobs in Europe.

And you think he is shit? Who the f**k do you guys regard as a good manager then?

He paid nearly £10m for Albert Riera. Case closed.

So? Wenger bought Jeffers for £7m. Taggart bought Veron and Berbatov for £30m a pop. Mourinho is cack at buying players full stop. Fact remains on a net spend of just over £25m per year Rafa got to two CL finals and took dippers to their highest PL finish with some great results and performances along the way. All this against a backdrop of the two owners slugging it out in the background and bleeding the club dry. Sure last season was crap by the previous standards Benitez had set but the media driven consensus that Benitez is a crap manager who has left them in the shite is the usual media bollocks.

The spine of the side with Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano and Reina is first rate and 3 out of those 4 were bought by Rafa. Kuyt is an excellent worker for the side and has a habit of knocking in vital goals at the right time. Alonso was the big miss but people conveniently forget that previously he had gone off the boil and no one would have cared if Rafa had replaced him with Barry when he originally planned. Alonso then hit top form and suddenly everyone was saying how instrumental he was to the side.

It is the usual death by punditry with snap smart arse comments replacing objective analysis. I also fail to see how the Premiership can benefit with Europe's best managers plying their trade elsewhere. The media are wankers because give it a year or so and they will be bemoaning the loss of Benitez and saying what a great record he had at dippers. They cry over the loss of Mourinho yet in his last year here they were riding his back too. MoN keeps Villa treading water and losing when it matters and he has had a 'great season'. Wenger gets 3rd place without a proper striker for most of the season yet 'arry gets 'PL manager of the year' for finishing behind Arsenal with 4 f**king strikers.

Go figure.

All three new players there were world class when they were bought. Hardly finds. And those are his only good signings. Rest were fucking pap and at horrible prices. Especially considering how easy it is to get people to Liverpool.

Mascherano couldn't get in the West Ham team and I don't recall anyone else vying for his services. And if its a case of 'if you exclude all of Rafa's good signings then all his other signings have been pap' then well duh yes because on that criteria every manager buys pap. I also think Glen Johnson is a good buy, Benayoun, Kuyt, Aggar, Crouch, are or were good buys as well. Rafa likes to trade in players. Some work. Some don't. Benitez like all top managers makes mistakes but to discount his overall record at the dippers and elsewhere is ludicrous.

And back to the media are wankers theme. Turned on SSN over lunch and they decide to compare the records of Jose and Rafa. But based on last year only. So perspective much. No mention of the disparity in investment and overlooks the fact that Rafa beat Jose twice in the CL in his time at dippers and getting to the final on two occasions.

The best managers don't get it right all the time. They just get it right more often than most. And Rafa gets it right more often than most.