Rafa Benitez Confirms Chelsea Exit At End Of Season, Criticizes Club And Fans In Spiky Rant

Alan Duffy

27th, February 2013

14 Comments

By Alan Duffy

No stranger to a tetchy rant or two, Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez publicly criticized both the Blues and their fans over their behaviour during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking after his side had strolled past Middlesbrough to reach the last eight of the FA Cup, the Spaniard had a pop at Chelsea’s decision to label him as an “interim” boss. He said:

” Chelsea gave me the title of interim manager which is a massive mistake. I’m the manager.”

“I have been in charge in football for 26 years. I have won the Champions League, won the FIFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup, the Italian Super Cup, the Spanish league twice, nine trophies, all the trophies you can win at club level.”

The former Liverpool boss then took aim at a section of Chelsea fans who had made their opposition to the Spaniard’s arrival at Stamford Bridge clear from the start. He said:

“The fans are not helping us. At the end of the season I will leave. They don’t have to worry about me.”

“I am a little bit disappointed with some of the fans. They have to support the team instead of wasting time singing songs.”

“If they continue singing and talking, they are not doing (the team) any favours. I will do my best until the last day.”

One wonders if he’ll still be ‘interim’ manager of Chelsea come the weekend, no matter the end of the season.

But was Benitez justified in having a go at the club and the fans? What do you guys think?

Oh, and here’s a snipper of the press conference for your perusal…

Posted in Chelsea, Managers, Newsnow

Share this article: Email

14 Comments

  1. Jamie says:

    He was completely justified. Say what you want about him as a man or as a manager, the board, owner and fans have treated him worse than shite since he got there.

  2. quintin says:

    people need to grow up,as a chelsea fan of 48yrs i find the treatment of rafa ,who is trying his best and he has the t-shirts disgusting ,we are getting beaten by our so called supporters not the opposition.

  3. js94 says:

    Good on him!
    He shouldn’t have to put up with all the crap and disrespect he’s been getting since he’s taken over

  4. sleeba says:

    Rubbish Quintin.
    This whole thing starts at the top. That’s why the negativity from fans.
    Just because you can’t support the manager doesn’t mean you can’t support the team. Major clear out of top brass me thinks.

  5. Mark says:

    Agree that he’s in the right. I don’t think it’ll affect his standing though – if he succeeded (whatever the criteria for ‘success’ are) then he can point to winning against the odds; if he failed (/fails) at Chelsea then he can rightly say that he’s never had the full backing of the board/fans/it was an impossible job from the start.

  6. Chris says:

    Rafa should not need to defend himself. The gutless board should be doing that and taking action.

    These supporters think ‘they’ win every week.

    NO — the team won, you watched.

  7. GiveFootballBack says:

    Rafa, no one forced you to take the job.

    Surely the word ‘interim’ was used from the beginning, and if it wasn’t then he is moronic for thinking that being Chelsea’s manager could be anything but.

    So, no, he was not justified. Anyone could predict this outcome, be it the reaction of the fans or otherwise. Quite easily too.

  8. p says:

    Rafa CHOSE TO TAKE A JOB managing a club who’s supporters he’s publicly insulted… What did he really expect? I think he’s justified as far as him having such opinions, I’d expect that, because clearly he was totally ignorant of the situation coming in.

    The man is a joke, a farce. There are reasons why he has gone wanting for a job for so long before being a complete desperation pic by Roman.

    Also I find it ironic people criticizing the supporters among whom have been stringent backers of the club for decades, and have been integral to the CFC even EXISTING the last 10 years or so. Either way though, its predictable that people take this opportunity (as they always) do to talk shit on the Chelsea support. Whatever.

  9. Jarren says:

    All the Chelsea fans bitching about Benitez yet won’t say a bad word about Abramovich.

    Who do you think picked Benitez?

    Maybe you should all start singing songs and slagging off Roman.

    Oh wait…

  10. jacoby says:

    @Jarren,
    Chelsea fans love roman because of the incredible success he’s brought us, in addition to saving the club, spending a huge amount of his cash to do so and showing he obviously cares a lot about the club. given all that, surely he’d be allowed a transgression like hiring rafa (assuming he actually did hire him, rumors are it was actually emanalo’s appointment). getting pissed at roman would be ridiculously shortsighted and rather ungratefuly

  11. Eckpfosten says:

    There will be some happy clubs in Germany to get Benitez. Maybe Schalke?

  12. marajonna says:

    From the first game it was obvious rafa was leaving at the end of the season. Back him then sack him. The fans are being dicks but they always are at Chelsea. Rafa has won a huge amount in his career and will go on to another big club, he should just pull out now and let Roman scramble for another interim manager.

  13. Seán says:

    Rant? How is this a rant? I watched all 12 minutes of it, it was by no means a rant. He’s being asked questions, and answers them honestly and calmly.

    I’ve seen on other sites this being called a rant,an outburst etc…ridiculously lazy! If anyone bothered to see the interview in full, he just responds to questions that he’s being asked.

  14. dale says:

    hes is a terrible manager reduced two champions league winning teams into mediocre ones within a few months and always looks for someone else to blame, whether it be the fans at chelsea for not getting behind him (when he slagged them off in the past and has shown no tactical nous since taking over) or at inter where he blamed mourinho and players like materazzi. no class this guy.

Leave a Reply to Jarren