Rafa Benitez fired a thinly-veiled parting shot towards Chelsea fans, by lauding the supporters of his new club Napoli.

The Spaniard, who endured a turbulent relationship with Blues fans throughout his spell as interim manager, signed a two-year deal to replace Walter Mazzarri at the Serie A runners-up, and was keen to hype the role of the ‘special’ Neapolitan support.

Benitez said: ‘I must confess that I am extremely excited because I can share my passion for football with the fans of Napoli; it is proven that they are very, very special.

‘I look forward to experiencing each and every one of the fans of Napoli and their strong support for this project that we will begin.

‘I am very happy and very satisfied for having committed to a great club with an illustrious heritage like Napoli.

‘I understand the history of the city and how the club forms a fundamental part of the culture and traditions of Naples.’