Trapattoni will train "Benfica" © EuroFootball.com

Former Italy national team coach Giovanni Trapattoni has been appointed as the head coach of the Portuguese Cup winner club.

After a disappointing Euro-2004, the Italian federation did not offer a new contract to Trapattoni, and Marcelo Lippi became the new coach of the "Squadra Azzura".

Benfica was looking for someone to replace Jose Antonio Camacho, who left the club and returned to Spain to coach Madrid. Yesterday, there were rumors in the Italian press that this vacant position would be filled by Alberto Zaccheroni, and Trapattoni would get a different job with the national team, but the Lisbon club chose a more experienced coach.

Despite a poor four-year spell with the Italy national team, Trapattoni's career has been very successful: he has won the Serie A with Turin and Milan, and the Bundesliga with Munich.