Rafael Clough

When Rafael Benitez took over as Inter Milan manager on June 10th 2010, many said he was sipping from a poisoned chalice given the success of his predecessor, Jose Mourinho. It was as if the Inter job was a trap laid by Mourinho that ensnared Benitez due to desire of the latter to better the former.

Fast forward 169 days and those doubters have been proved right. Benitez was sacked yesterday by Inter Milan in what had to be one of the worst kept secrets of 2010. The rumour mill was churning out more and more information by the hour to suggest that Benitez had gone despite the determination of Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti to keep it under wraps.

It is Moratti himself whom Benitez had the most problems with, claiming the 66 year-old had promised him three players in August but failed to deliver any, leaving Benitez with the squad of Mourinho that won the treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and, perhaps most importantly, the Champions League.

Moratti (L) and Benitez (R) didn't enjoy the best of relationships at Inter Milan

With a new legacy built, Mourinho packed his bags and left to take on a new mission with Real Madrid, leaving Inter Milan managerless until Benitez filled the void following his departure from Liverpool after 6 years at the Premier League side.

Upon his arrival at Inter Milan, it seemed that Benitez was determined to emulate Mourinho's achievements in winning trophies but winning them "better" in the same manner Brian Clough did when he took charge of Leeds United for his infamous 44-day tenure at Elland Road. However, nothing at Inter was broken, they had just come off the back of the most successful season in the club's history so why fix it?

The answer is simple: Benitez wanted to employ a more attacking formation and style of football to almost undermine the achievements of Mourinho, who was often cited as being overly-defensive in his style, as effective as it was with the tangible success it gained.

Benitez's reign at Inter has similarities with Brian Clough's time at Leeds

Clough did the same when he went to Leeds. He had slated Don Revie and his side for years, suggesting they should be docked points and demoted for their style of play that had seen them nicknamed "Dirty Leeds". He wanted them to be just as successful as Revie's iconic side but he wanted them to win whilst playing good football. As with Inter, though, nothing was broken and there was no need to try and fix things other than for the benefit of personal pride.

It could be said that Benitez's fixation with the Real Madrid manager has ultimately led to his own downfall, he had all pictures of the ex-Chelsea manager taken down at the club's training HQ but the manner in which Benitez decided to dabble in amongst boardroom politics was also one of his many shortcomings.

During his time at Liverpool, his relationships with members of the club's hierarchy George Gillett, Tom Hicks, Rick Parry and Christian Purslow were fractured at best. The same happened at Inter with numerous outbursts against Moratti, getting Benitez into a tussle of power that he was never going to win.

Benitez finds himself out of a job for the second time in just six months

Clough, himself, was no stranger to speaking out against chairmen and executives, writing articles in newspapers and appearing on television on numerous occasions to scrutinise those in power, suggesting they knew nothing about the game. This led to Clough falling out with Derby chairman Sam Longson before resigning due to conflicts of interest.

The challenge of authority Benitez lay down to Moratti following the World Club Championship was a desperate throw of the dice and one that backfired to expose his weak position at Internazionale. With the Nerazzurri lying 7th in Serie A, 13 points behind leaders and bitter rivals AC Milan, a sixth straight title looks more than unlikely heading into 2011 and they are closer to the relegation places than first place based on current standings.

Whilst Benitez remains an viable option for clubs around Europe, his track record of relationships with those in power will have to be examined just as closely as his successes with the likes of Valencia and Liverpool. If he is to find success again, he must learn to leave the goings-on in the boardroom to those who know it best.

Clough resurrected his career with a move to Nottingham Forest, where he built a dynasty over the 18 years he spent in charge. If Benitez can engineer a move to the right club then there his every chance his managerial career can be revived after this disaster.