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.