Rafa Benitez steps down as Napoli manager

Sunday's match against Lazio will be Rafa Benitez's final game in charge of Napoli, as the Spanish manager announced he will leave the team following the season finale.

"My contract expires after the Lazio game and my cycle ends here," Benitez told reporters Thursday, while rumours linking him to Real Madrid continue to circulate following Carlo Ancelotti's firing.

Before he starts planning a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, Benitez will have the difficult task of securing a Champions League qualification position in the Serie A.

A win is vital for Benitez's men, as they sit three points back of Lazio for the final Champions League spot. Failure to win will see Napoli compete in the Europa League.

"I want this to end well," he said. "I want to leave Napoli at the level they belong at. If we can break the record for goals scored in a season and finish third, I will be happy. We've made it nearly all the way in three competitions this season and that's not easy.

"It is always saddening to leave a place where you have been welcomed so well and where you have been happy. My decision is mainly down to my family. I tried to convince my wife, but family is always important."

While Benitez seems likely to land the vacant manager's position with Real - Carlo Ancelotti's agent says he's a "99 percent" favourite to get the job - Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis hinted that the former Liverpool and Chelsea boss could be headed elsewhere.

"We gave him a contract with an option for an extra year and when we did it, Rafa made it clear to me that he would not continue," De Laurentiis said. "His wife and daughters wanted him in a place closer to them so I accepted that."

Benitez's family currently resides in Liverpool, where he coached for six seasons.

During his two seasons in charge, Benitez has guided Napoli to a Coppa Italia triumph and a Supercoppa Italiana victory, while securing them a spot in the Champions League after his first season in Naples.