Rafa Benitez’s moment of reckoning in Napoli’s Coppa Italia semi-final

Next three weeks will shine the light on the manager’s legacy at the Italian club, writes Ian Hawkey.

Napoli manager Rafa Benitez will lead his men against Lazio tonight in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final. Marcello Paternostro / AFP

It is more than a decade since Rafa Benitez could last call himself a league champion. Four clubs in two leagues have employed the Spaniard since he guided a remarkable Valencia to the second of two Primera Liga titles under him, in 2004.

Defeat at the weekend against Roma left Napoli eight points adrift of third place in Serie A. Finishing in the top three is one of two routes they can take to qualify for next season's Uefa Champions League.

In between are cup matches: the quarter-final of the Europa League, against Wolfsburg.

It lacks the status of the Champions League, which Benitez won in dramatic style in Istanbul in 2005 as manager of Liverpool, but dangling from the trophy this May, for the first time, will be something very valuable indeed: a passport for the winners to next season's premier club competition.

A key cup tie, worth a huge chunk of revenue to Napoli, was lost last August, when Athletic Bilbao triumphed against Napoli in a tight play-off for a place in the 2014/15 Champions League group phase.

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