Chelsea Appoint Rafa Benitez As Interim Manager Until Season’s End

Chris Wright

21st, November 2012

14 Comments

By Chris Wright

“Hi guys, I’m Rafa. Don’t get too attached”

It’s not a decision that appears to have gone down well with the more vocal contingent of the Chelsea support, but the club have appointed Rafa Benitez as their interim manager until the end of the season under 12 hours after sacking Roberto Di Matteo.

A club statement reads:

“The owner and the board believe that in Benitez we have a manager with significant experience at the highest level of football, who can come in and immediately help deliver our objectives.

“The two-time UEFA Manager of the Year comes with outstanding pedigree.”

Strange one really, seeing as Rafa has long been a figure of derision at Chelsea, mainly as the two clubs played each other approximately 175 times during Benitez’s six years at Anfield. There’s also this quote, which is hung on the wall at Liverpool’s Melwood training HQ…

Those ‘plastic fans’, of course, being Chelsea fans.

Personally we’ve never been overly convinced by Benitez. He seems to exude an air of ‘over-diligent middle management’ rather than any kind of authority.

A popular line seems to be that he’ll be ‘able to get the best out of Fernando Torres,’ though we’re fairly sure that ship has sailed – largely due to Rafa’s crippling over-reliance on him at Liverpool.

Put it this way; if Nando suddenly starts yomping around like it’s 2008 all over again, we”ll gladly eat a tray of moussaka – and we f**king hate aubergine!

Any thoughts Pies fans? Reckon Rafa’ll do the business at Chelsea for the next six months?

Posted in Chelsea, Managers

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14 Comments

  1. sleeba says:

    Oh Jeez. Not content with being the most hated sporting entity in the world, CFC want to be the laughing stock of the Premiership. Sack a Chelsea hero for someone who ridiculed them throughout his English career for not having history etc.
    But. Did any Chelsea fan really expect RDM was the savior and would lead this club to a second Champions League victory? If Jose decided he wanted to come back or Pep was ready would they be up in arms….no.
    It was obvious something was happening weeks back, the players showed this with their body language. I’m not sure about Rafa but am prepared to give him the benefit after all whenever Roman replaces someone we win a cup. Which is more than Arsenal can say.

  2. Fnarf says:

    Comedy gold.

    I hope they lose ten in a row.

  3. Sharky says:

    That’s what Chelsea needs a manager who’s good in Europe and has made 2 Cl finals and won one. Oh wait I forgot Chelsea are out of the CL hahahahah

  4. Kwamtona says:

    This is all complete nonsense. Chelsea were the team to beat this season in the Premiership, the most solidly built in any case. Now they’ve chucked the person responsible for getting them in place. Who knows what will happen in Champions League, but the Premiership was realistic.

  5. Joe says:

    Excellent choice of picture-Perfect “I’m Baaaaack” look there. Or he’s just spotted a 2-for-1 deal on sausage rolls in Greggs.

  6. Al the gun says:

    Faster than the stockings falling down the legs of a 5$ woman.ill support everton till hes sacked.

  7. YourFace says:

    RDM wasn’t the savior but ya gotta give the fella a chance. Every team loses. Norwich beat United fer chrissakes. Ridiculous sacking and you’re right, THE LAUGHING STOCK of World Football. A sad, sad day for Chelsea FC.
    The Waiter employs zonal marking and it doesn’t work in the BPL. He’s a mercenary that hasn’t worked in two years. Bad choice. Pep sucks too. True fans want Jose back. He’s the best gaffer on the globe. KTBFFH!

  8. p says:

    as a chelsea supporter i’m sickened by his hiring

    glad he won’t be around next season

  9. Austin Blues says:

    21 goals leaked in 10 games pretty much says it all and sealed RDM departure. Its the Modern Game.. He won’t get Torres to play better and he will need all the help he needs to pull off anything unusual. That being said, we have a nifty way of winning trophies with replacements. Time will tell

  10. HJS says:

    This is a genuine question, why do Chelsea appoint managers? It’s pretty clear that no boss is ever going to be up to par no matter what success they bring. Surely the players who have been there throughout the NINE managers they’ve had since, whenever, know a thing or two by now!

    It’s an absolute farce. No one is ever good enough for them. I can understand why managers are sacked but can you really justify the sacking of that many gaffers in that space of time?

    Even if Mourinho came back and brought them success again, a few bad games here and there the following season and he’ll be out the door like the rest.

  11. pray4muamba says:

    “appointed till the end of the season?” he’ll be sacked in three weeks…maybe torres will find his form under rafa, he did well with him at liverpool

  12. Neil says:

    I think I smell something bad….and it’s not what’s going down at Chelsea, but rather this article. How did a “middle manager” manage to coax his team to a Euro Cup final? For one reason or another Rafa has been a marked man since he came to the Premier League. Perhaps because he never licked Slur Alex’s wrinkled, squeaky bum? Chelsea are a joke of a team and will be until the Russian buggers back to Siberia where he made his billions, but in the meantime, I’m backing Rafa to do rather well (until Guardiola is paid 15mil/year to come in, that is)

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