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Benitez signs two-year deal at Inter

RAFA BENITEZ was named Inter Milan coach yesterday, charged with the tough task of matching last season’s stunning treble success under Jose Mourinho.

Benitez, who last week ended his six-year spell at Liverpool, has penned a two-year deal with the European, Serie A and Italian Cup champions.

Mourinho quit for Real Madrid in the wake of Inter’s Champions League triumph last month, having become disillusioned with Italian football.

Inter acted quickly to tie up Benitez, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and reached the final in 2007.

Club president Massimo Moratti first targeted England boss Fabio Capello but when the Italian decided to stay until Euro 2012, attention turned to Benitez as he left Liverpool. The 50-year-old Spaniard knows plenty about Serie A having faced Inter’s city rivals AC Milan in both his Champions League finals.

AC Milan close in on Allegri

AC MILAN vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed former Cagliari coach Massimiliano Allegri will take over at the San Siro if he settles his contract with the Sardinians.

The Rossoneri have been looking for a new coach since Leonardo parted company with the club after just one season.

And Galliani claims Allegri, who is regarded as one of the country’s best young managers, will be installed as soon as they get the green light from Cagliari.

Gold insists Zola will bounce back

DAVID GOLD believes it will only be a matter of time before Gianfranco Zola returns to top-flight management after the former West Ham manager severed all ties with the club yesterday.

The League Managers Association confirmed Zola had reached a financial settlement with the Premier League club just under a month after he was sacked.

Although he enjoyed a fine first season, guiding the club to a ninth-placed finish and earning a new four-year contract, the Hammers’ struggle to avoid relegation and his fractious relationship with the club’s hierarchy cost Zola his job.

But Gold insists the amiable Italian will bounce back from the sacking by landing a top job soon.

“He has a style which suits certain clubs and I am sure that we’ll see him about in football in no time at all,” said Gold.

Lennon hoping to keep McGeady

NEIL LENNON insists it will take a “ridiculous” amount of money to wrest star midfielder Aiden McGeady from Celtic.

The new Celtic boss is well aware Spartak Moscow are ready to pay €10 million to take the 24-year-old to Russia.

Birmingham reportedly made a bid for the player in January and could come back in for the the Republic of Ireland midfielder, who has admitted he would like one day to play in the Premiership.

But although Lennon would be handed any transfer fee to help in the rebuilding programme, and has been linked with Stoke’s Liam Lawrence, who could be a replacement for McGeady, Tony Mowbray’s successor would prefer to keep the former Celtic youth player.

“The figure that has been bandied about is not enough,” Lennon said.

“It would have to be a ridiculous amount of money, or what we believe to be the right amount of money, to accept a deal from anybody.”

Vidic 'considering leaving' Manchester United

NEMANJA VIDIC’S agent has said his client is considering leaving Manchester United after the World Cup and has yet to decide whether he wants to stay with the deposed Premier League champions.

For several months Vidic had strenuously denied the idea that he may want to move to Spain or Italy, a story that originates from the very top at Old Trafford. However, according to Paolo Fabbri, Vidic’s position has considerably altered, to the point where he is now open-minded about a summer move.

Real Madrid are among the clubs who have been linked with the Serbia international, whose position is known to United’s management and has led to Alex Ferguson telling colleagues he does not think the 28-year-old wants to stay.

“We are waiting for Nemanja to tell us what we he wants to do,” Fabbri said. “We are waiting, as it is up to him. He is concentrating on something else [the World Cup] so I guess it won’t be until after the World Cup he makes a decision on his future.”