Benitez: Napoli could emulate Atletico

Atletico Madrid’s breakthrough title looks set to inspire clubs all over Europe with Rafael Benitez claiming Napoli could be Italy’s example.

Napoli have not won Serie A since the 1989-90 season but Benitez said on Monday that the club could be inspired by Atleti’s success in Spain, after watching Diego Simeone’s men draw 1-1 at Barcelona on Saturday to notch their first La Liga title in 18 years.

Atleti’s win was the first time in 10 seasons a club apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid were crowned champions in Spain’s top flight.

In Italy’s Serie A, Juventus have won three consecutive titles, while the Turin giants, plus Milan and Inter, have hoarded the past 12 Scudettos.

Roma were the last club outside Italy’s most successful trio to win the Serie A, and Benitez challenged Napoli to be the next.

“With some quality buys we can do even better than this season. Maybe we could even do what Atletico Madrid did this year in Spain,” Benitez told Sky Italia.

“We need to play with pace and with the ball on the floor, as we have done this season.”

Napoli finished second in the 2012-13 campaign, before claiming third this season behind Juve and Roma.

But in his first season in charge of the southern Italian club, Benitez maintained Napoli ‘have improved compared to last year’.

Napoli won the Coppa Italia earlier this month, triumphing in the cup competition for the second time in three seasons.