Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez has slammed the club’s board and the fans who have called for his dismissal at a press conference after the Blues’ victory over Middlesborough on Wednesday night.
Benitez criticised the decision to give him the ‘interim manager’ title and hit back at the fans who have called for his exit since he arrived at Stamford Bridge.
“Chelsea gave me the title of interim manager, which is a massive mistake. I am the manager,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live after Chelsea’s win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside set up an FA Cup quarter final clash with Manchester United.
He also hit out at the Chelsea faithful, saying: “The fans are not helping us. At the end of the season I will leave. They don’t have to waste time with me.”
Benitez has been the focus of protests from the Chelsea fans who have not taken to him, the animosity dating back to his time with Blues rivals Liverpool. The manner with which previous manager and Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo was ousted did not help his situation and left him needing to win over the supporters – an endeavour that has proven largely insurmountable.
Reports earlier this week suggested he had been involved in a heated confrontation with Chelsea players, rumours both he and John Terry have spuriously denied.
But this latest outburst seems to indicate that his time in west London is swiftly coming to an end and the merry-go-round of Blues bosses is set to continue this summer.
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