Rafael Benitez: Inter the best in Italy, but Conte's Napoli hit by injuries
Former Inter and Napoli manager Rafael Benitez has identified Inter as the current best team in Italy, but believes Antonio Conte's Napoli have been severely hampered by injuries this season. The Panathinaikos manager, speaking from Athens, weighed in on the Serie A title race, which Inter lead by nine points.
Benitez, who has managed clubs in England, Spain, Italy, and now Greece, offered his analysis of the current Serie A landscape. "It's simple to observe: Inter won in 2021, Napoli in 2023, Inter again in 2024, Napoli in 2025. And now, in 2026, Inter are almost ready to celebrate again," Benitez said. "They are the best, obviously. And this year, the best of the two has been Inter."
While acknowledging Inter's current dominance, Benitez, who managed Inter briefly in 2010, pointed to the significant impact of Napoli's injury crisis under manager Antonio Conte. "Conte is paying for the injuries," Benitez noted, suggesting that the Partenopei's campaign has been derailed by a lengthy list of unavailable players. His comments come with Inter holding a commanding nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table with a game in hand, while Napoli's title defense has faltered, leaving them well off the pace.
Benitez also took a moment to praise Inter's current manager, Dan Chivu. The Spaniard, who managed Chivu as a player during his brief tenure at Inter, commended the Romanian's handling of a difficult situation. "Chivu is doing very well to manage a very difficult situation," Benitez said. He added personal insight from their time together, noting, "I had him as a player: he was already tactically evolved then." Chivu, who stepped into the managerial role at the San Siro earlier this season, has guided the team to the brink of the Scudetto.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager is currently focused on his own project, having taken Greek side Panathinaikos from a distant position to the championship playoffs. However, his deep knowledge of Italian football, where he won the Coppa Italia with Napoli, gives his analysis of the current title race significant weight. His assessment points to a clear two-horse race in recent years, with Inter and Napoli establishing a duopoly, but suggests that fortune, particularly with player fitness, has played a decisive role this season. The implication is clear: while Inter's quality is undeniable, Napoli's injury woes have prevented a more compelling title fight, allowing Inter to build a commanding and likely decisive lead at the summit of Serie A.
