Rafael Benítez was appointed interim Manager following the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo after the 3:0 Champions League defeat against Juventus Turin. Di Matteo was under pressure after losing to West Brom and drawing Swansea City and Liverpool in the Premier League.
Chelsea said in a club statement: “The team’s recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season.”
Di Matteo was appointed interim manager after Andre Villas-Boas was fired in March 2012 and appointed manager after winning the FA Cup and the Champions League in the 2011/12 season. Di Matteo is the 8th manager to depart Chelsea since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003.
However, yesterday, Rafa Benitez was appointed interim manager until the end of the season. The 52-year-old Spaniard is due to meet the players at the training ground in Cobham today. The two-time UEFA Manager of the Year spent six years at Liverpool and led them to their fifth European Cup and an FA Cup. He left Liverpool in 2009 and became Inter Milan manager after the departure of José Mourinho. However, he was sack in 2010. One of his greatest missions at Chelsea is Torres, who so far never found his form at Chelsea and is largely disliked among his club’s supporters.
The deal with Benitez is, however only on a short term basis. Abramovich’s main target is Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona manager is currently on a one-year sabbatical in New York and is not in a hurry to return to football. However, there have been rumors that Abramovich made him a £15million a year offer.
