Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis admits he appointed Rafa Benitez as coach because he "knows nothing about football"! De Laurentiis's team now sit top of the table.

"I hope we can balance Serie A and the Champions League. For years I was trying to make Napoli international.

"I bought this club when coming back on a flight from Los Angeles where I spoke to Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, so football was not on my mind," revealed the film producer.

"I played basketball as a kid, so I didn't know anything about football. For years I asked myself why this football was always so provincial, but we slowly got on to the European stage.

"This is why I thought Rafa Benitez was the right man for the job, as with his pedigree he couldn't be wrong. He has done well by holding on to the good work we've done in the past while at the same time revolutionising the style of play and bringing in new quality faces.

"My next step will be to import Italian football into America."