Topics: Rafael Benitez, Napoli, Real Madrid, Serie A, La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti
His departure from the Italian club matches with the time that Real plans to announce its next manager. Benitez has decided not to extend his contract that expires this season.

Rafael Benitez has one last game to coach with Napoli before his contract expires and he has decided that an extension is not an option. After two years with the Italian side, his game against Lazio will be his last one and the move to become the next manager of Real Madrid seems inevitable.

Los Merengues plan to announce who their next coach will be next week. By then, Benitez will have finished his work with Napoli and be considered free to go with whoever he wants. As a Madrid native and a former assistant coach for Los Blancos, moving back home seems like the obvious choice for the Spanish manager.

"Benitez would arrive in Madrid with all his assistants and that's not negotiable. Antonio Gomez, Paco de Miguel, Xavi Valero and Jaunfran Sánchez"

Benitez went to his last press conference as the coach of Napoli this Thursday and sat along the club's president Aurelio de Laurentiis. The president expressed gratitude for the work done by the Spaniard after two years of hard work which gave the club several reasons to be proud of. 

"I'd like to thank Rafa, who I always really wanted as coach here," De Laurentiis said. "He convinced me immediately with the way he would have made this club more international.

He added that Benitez was never interested in signing for a third year. The reason was not because of Madrid, but because of a personal issue.

It's becoming a tradition for Benitez to leave clubs on May 28

"His wife and daughters wanted him in a place closer to them so I accepted that," Laurentiis added.

The 55-year-old manager was able to take Napoli to the top spot of the Copa Italia in 2014, after just one season with the team. He failed to qualify to the UEFA Champions League in the playoffs, but ended 2015 making it all the way to the semi-finals where they lost to Dnipro.

It was an out of the ordinary press conference

"It is always saddening to leave a place where you have been welcomed so well and where you have been happy. My decision is mainly down to my family," Benitez said.

Rafa wants to end things the right way this weekend against Lazio. The team is currently sitting in fourth place but has a chance of finishing third. Organizers for the last game of the season are expecting a sold-out show at Stadio San Paolo.

"Knowing that Benitez could go to Real Madrid is really prestigious for Napoli"