As a former player for Roma and Juventus, Benatia has had a unique perspective on Italian football. He recently shared his thoughts on the Italian national team, stating that he believes the country lacks strong talent. As the captain of Morocco, Benatia often faced Italy in international matches and felt that the national team was a formidable opponent.

Benatia reminisced about the past, mentioning legendary Italian players like Francesco Totti, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Nesta, and Paolo Maldini, as well as other notable players like Christian Vieri, Antonio Cassano, and Marco Montella. He wondered where these talented players have gone, and compared the current Italian team to the French national teams, stating that there are at least four teams from France that are superior to Italy.

Benatia is currently working with Italian coach Roberto de Zerbi at Olympique Marseille, and the two have developed a strong working relationship. They often have late-night video calls to discuss strategy and tactics, with de Zerbi wanting to see his players f