Benitez labels Materazzi ‘a liar’ as Cole signs on

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has angrily rebuffed his latest critic after Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi hit out at his former boss.

Since his largely unpopular appointment as Roberto Di Matteo’s successor, Benitez has had to battle derision from Chelsea fans and now Italy defender Materazzi has added his voice to the critics.

Materazzi described life under Benitez at Inter as like “being back at school”, suggested the Spaniard had been lined-up as Jose Mourinho’s successor while the Portuguese was in position and had told him to take down photographs in his locker of his former coaches.

“He’s lying,” Benitez said.

“Marco Materazzi is lying. He’s lying, just lying. Everything that he said is a lie. Simple.

“When he was talking with Mourinho it’s a lie, because nobody knew I was going to Inter, even me. It’s a lie.

“About the pictures, it’s a lie. So he’s a liar.”

Chelsea travel to Swansea in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final tonight and received a pre-match boost yesterday when, as expected, left-back Ashley Cole signed a one-year contract extension.

Cole said: “I am pleased I will be starting my eighth season at Chelsea.

“I wanted to stay at Chelsea because we are always fighting and challenging for trophies.

“That desire and the will to want to win things have not gone.”