Sampdoria’s president, Massimo Ferrero, has rejected the prospect of his coach, Sinisa Mihajlovic, swapping jobs with Napoli’s Rafael Benítez – saying the former Liverpool manager would have to lose weight before he hired him.
Ferrero, speaking before this weekend’s Serie A meeting between the sides, was responding to reports that Mihajlovic had been lined up as a replacement for Benítez, who is out of contract in the summer.
Benítez joined Napoli in the summer of 2013 and led them to the Coppa Italia and third place in Serie A in his first season in charge. They are fourth in the league this season and are on course to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Making light of the reports on Radio Crc, Ferrero said: “You all say [Mihajlovic] is leaving but I know nothing about it, there is no news. If he did go, though, I know who I’d replace him with: not Paulo Sousa, but [comedy actor] Lino Banfi. Or I could take Benítez, but I’d have to take him to a dietician first.”
Ferrero said he would do whatever he could to retain Mihajlovic, calling him “a man of great sensitivity, a great professional and a great worker: he arrives two hours before training and goes home two hours after it”.
Ferrero, a film director who was banned for three months last year after referring to Internazionale’s Indonesian owner Erick Thohir as a “Filipino”, is known for outspoken views. In February he alleged that his Palermo counterpart, Maurizio Zamparini, had threatened to kill him in a row over the Paraguay midfielder Édgar Barreto.
“Zamparini insulted me, made death threats and now he is frankly going over the line,” he claimed. “I received a three-month ban for making a joke, so now I expect the justice system to intervene, because I am fed up with him.
“He gets publicity for himself by insulting me. Enough with the insults. I called him to ask about Barreto and he threatened to kill me! Zamparini needs to take a long hard look at himself and think of how many players he has taken away from others in an ungentlemanly manner.”
Zamparini denied Ferrero’s claims and threatened him with legal action. “Ferrero is insane. I never threatened to kill anyone.”
