Rafa no more Inter Milan coach

Some relationships people say are made in heaven, but that between Italian giants Internationale Milan and their Spanish coach Rafael Benitez simply wasn't and the much awaited sacking came earlier today after the club and their now former coach worked out the financial details before officially parting ways. It somehow didn't work and Benitez in the end didn't even survive six months with the Nerazzurri (The Black & Blues).

But Benitez was on a lost mission from the start. His predecessor Jose Mourinho won everything with the club in his two years in Milano and this summer the club mainly retained the same squad, but injuries robbed Benitez of some of his best players and after such a sensational season as the last it always was difficult to recreate that form and level of performance.

The official statement from Inter Milan on their website read "a mutually satisfactory agreement for the early termination of his contract had been agreed." And this was the reason why the dismissal took so long to be officially announced.

The timing of the sacking can be termed as unfortunate with Inter Milan last week winning the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi against TP Mazembe from Congo, but the relationship between Benitez and the board had been damaged beyond repair after Benitez in a press conference said the following, "There are three possibilities for the club. One, 100% support for the coach and buy four or five players to build a stronger team with competition among the players to be able to carry on winning matches and trophies. Two, carry on like this without a project, without planning, and go ahead with one person to blame, for the whole season. The third is to speak to my agent to reach an agreement if there is not this support. Simple."

The club took option three. Inter president Massimo Moratti is known not to stick too long with a coach who he thinks isn't going to deliver. And it became more and more evident from the statements he made over the last few weeks that this was the case and even winning the FIFA Club World Cup couldn't save Benitez his job. Moratti had said in Italy, "I'm sorry the relationship with Benitez is over, but the split had become inevitable."

Now Benitez leaves and the discussions have started who will replace him. The front-runner is said to be a former AC Milan star and last season Milan's coach Brazilian Leonardo. Other names being mentioned are those of Walter Zenga, Luciano Spalletti, Frank Rijkaard, Fabio Capello or Diego Simeone.

Meanwhile Benitez's reputation as a top coach has suffered but his success at FC Valencia and FC Liverpool make him a hot property on the European coaching circuit. And the craziest of all rumours is that of a possible return to Liverpool if Roy Hodgson is shown the door at Anfield.

Nothing is impossible in football, but one will have to wait and see...