As one might imagine , Rafa Benitez 's arrival at Stamford Bridge as interim manager in 2012 came as quite a slap in the face to Chelsea fans still hurting from Roberti Di Matteo 's untimely departure just months after winning the Champions League . This was a man who had beaten the Blues in two Champions League semi-finals with drab defensive tactics - meaning that a sub-standard Liverpool side reached two finals , while Jose Mourinho 's team of world class individuals missed out . As expected , we did n't warm to Rafa when he walked out for his first game at the Bridge . He had made a number of derogatory comments about the club during his Liverpool days and was rightly given a frosty reception . Rafa Benitez is set to leave Napoli this summer and will have a host of clubs after his services . Benitez was made Chelsea interim manager in 2012 but it 's fair to say the fans never warmed to him . Cody Taylor is a fan writer on 90min.com . He did little to bring the support on-side in his the first few weeks either . Chelsea drew Benitez 's first two games 0-0 , before a 3-1 defeat against West Ham in a London derby - embarrassing . The only thing is , in the end he managed to get the job done and it would be the same for another club today . Rafa never liked being called the 'interim ' manager , in fact he made a point of letting people know the title irked him , but he was brought in on a mission to keep the club on course until the end of the season . It was n't pretty , but that was exactly what he did . Rafa also managed to get a better return from Fernando Torres - a player that was pretty much useless at Chelsea before and after . The season even ended with another European trophy . People often forget that in 2011/12 Chelsea finished 6th in the Premier League - the lowest in 10 years - a fact conveniently masked by two cup wins . In 2012/13 Rafa ensured Chelsea finished 3rd and got an automatic pass back into the Champions League group stage when there was big pressure from Arsenal and Tottenham . As Chelsea fans , we certainly did n't like him , but looking back we hate to think what might have happened without him . Benitez got the best out of his squad for the rest of the season and he got the best out of Fernando Torres . Chelsea won the Europa League in 2013 under Rafa Benitez after beating Benfica in Amsterdam . One Chelsea fan thanks Benitez for his efforts on the last day of the season in 2013 at Stamford Bridge . The rumours are that he could now be on for a return to the Premier League - he knows English football inside out and would actually be perfect for several clubs . Manchester City is one possible destination - he 'd probably do a similar interim job there while they wait for Pep Guardiola - and Newcastle is another . The reality is that while Rafa possibly would n't be a popular choice at either , he would give both clubs exactly what they need . City require an experienced and pragmatic stop-gap that knows how to keep things ticking over until they can land their superstar . Newcastle need someone who can get the best out of a talented group of players that are significantly underachieving at this moment in time . In that respect Rafa certainly made sure Liverpool punched above their weight . People do n't like to admit it , but he 's a good manager and probably deserves his chance in the Premier League again .
Rafa Benitez 's contract at Napoli expires this summer and he is set to leave . Manchester City , West Ham and Newcastle could be looking for a new boss . Benitez was a success at Liverpool , but struggled to win over Chelsea fans . But he still won the Europa League with the Blues and they are thankful . He would bring success to almost any Premier League team next season .