Benitez agrees to take over at Inter

Published Jun. 8, 2010 9:33 p.m. ET

foxsports

Inter president Massimo Moratti announced Tuesday that an agreement has been reached for Rafa Benitez to become the club's new coach.

Moratti said the only thing outstanding was a counter-signature to complete the deal, adding that Benitez was not currently in Italy.

"We've reached agreement, we've finalized the last details which regardless weren't important, and tomorrow we'll announce when Rafa Benitez will be presented," Moratti said.

The Spanish coach, who left Liverpool last Thursday after six years in charge of the Premier League club, will succeed Jose Mourinho, who left for Real Madrid after leading Inter to a trophy treble in the Champions League, Italy's Serie A and the Italian Cup last season.

Benitez joined Liverpool in 2004 after guiding Valencia to two Spanish league titles and the UEFA Cup.

Once on Merseyside, he made a remarkable start to his career there by winning the Champions League in his first season, following an astonishing victory over Inter's city rivals AC Milan in the final in Istanbul.

Trailing 3-0 at halftime, Liverpool went on to snatch a 3-3 draw before beating Milan on penalties. The club won the FA Cup the following season and was runner-up in the 2007 Champions League final as Milan took its revenge for that defeat two years previously.

However, despite the cup success, Benitez failed in his attempts to win the prized Premier League title.

Liverpool last won the trophy in 1990 and, in the past few seasons, Manchester United has equaled its record of 18 championships.

Inter, meanwhile, is enjoying some of the best years in the club's history.

It has won the Italian league every year for the last five years and lifted European club's football biggest trophy for the first time in 45 years by beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in last month's Champions League final.

Despite Benitez's track record of success in the game, it will be a tough act to follow.