Nottingham Forest linked manager Rafa Benitez has told Football Italia that he wants to return to management.
Eyebrows were raised earlier this month when the Spaniard was linked with a move to the City Ground.
After a 4-0 loss to Leicester, some reports claimed that Evangelos Marinakis was considering a change.
With Lee Charnley working on an advisory basis at the club, Benitez was linked with a move to Nottingham.
It was perhaps a fairly lazy link with the former Newcastle manager keen to head back into management at the top level.
Benitez would represent a completely different strategy though and would be completely different to Cooper.
After gauging the fan reaction, the Reds decided that the best thing to do would be to offer Cooper a new deal.
Benitez, however, has now opened up on his future and it’s fair to say that he is keen to get back in.
He told Football Italia: “I want to coach at a high level, perhaps the fact that I coached some of the best teams in the top leagues reduced my options, but I love new challenges.”
Benitez wants return to management
Thankfully, Forest have now sorted the future of Cooper out.
Appointing Benitez would be disastrous and his best days appear to be firmly behind him.
His last job in the Premier League didn’t go particularly well, with Everton fans hounding him out.
The manager has also managed Liverpool and Chelsea in England, winning European trophies with both.
Times have changed though and appointing Benitez into a relegation battle would be foolish.
His time at Newcastle wasn’t particularly bad but even then he had periods were things weren’t great.
Forest have to move on from the 62-year-old and it would appear that their intentions right now are to stick with Cooper.
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