Blues facing Benitez backlash

Chelsea face a backlash from their own supporters after they named former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez as the interim successor to sacked Roberto Di Matteo.

Benitez flew from Abu Dhabi, where he was speaking at a coaching seminar, to agree a contract at Stamford Bridge yesterday and has signed until the end of the season. He will meet his players at the club’s Cobham training ground for the first time today and begins his reign with a crucial Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday.

The news of Benitez’s arrival came just hours after Di Matteo was ruthlessly dismissed by owner Roman Abramovich following a 3-0 Champions League defeat against Juventus in Turin on Tuesday.