Inter vs. Napoli: The Player Who Played for Both Teams Speaks Out About Cristian Chivu and Massimiliano Allegri

Soccer fans are eagerly anticipating Inter vs. Napoli, the first of the top-of-the-table matchups on the third matchday of Serie A, which kicked off with Como’s 4-1 victory on Genoa’s home turf. The match between Inter and Napoli, scheduled for 6 p.m., pits two clubs against each other that have split the last four league titles evenly: Rafa Benitez, the Spanish coach who has led both the Nerazzurri and the Neapolitans during his career, has offered his own take on what might happen at the “Meazza.”

“This match brings me face to face with two personal chapters, moments that have filled me with satisfaction,” Benitez told *La Gazzetta dello Sport*. With Inter, he won—despite staying only a few months— the 2010 Club World Cup, while at Napoli he won the 2013–2014 Coppa Italia. “We won together; it was wonderful. Then, like all things, it came to an end. But the feelings and friendships remain, and I have many of them.”

Benitez also spoke about the two coaches, Cristian Chivu and Massimiliano Allegri: “For a year now, Chivu has been masterfully managing a top-tier team. He understands the risks of starting as the favorite and knows that, so to speak, many players have stepped up behind him,” he said. “Allegri? You can expect surprise moves from him: since he doesn’t have McTominay, I have no trouble believing he’ll come up with something. He has a firm grasp of the situation; only someone who sees the players every day knows which ones can be relied upon the most.”

The match between Inter and Napoli is one of the most anticipated games of Matchday 3, but it’s not the only one featuring the “big clubs”: in fact, the schedule also features Roma vs. Atalanta on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. at the Olimpico, and the classic Juventus–Milan match, which will close out Sunday’s action with kickoff at 8:45 p.m. at the Stadium in Turin.