Rafael Benitez came to Chelsea to bear nothing but abuse from the fans. He turned his back on them, got on with his job, won the admiration of the players and allowed them to enjoy the company of three great European clubs.
After Bayern München, Ajax Amsterdam and Juventus, Chelsea became the fourth team to hold all the European trophies on offer. Benitez successfully guided them to a top four finish in the league and the Europa League.
Chelsea’s interim managers have done wonderfully at the club; however, none have been more underappreciated by the fans. When Jose Mourinho left, the fans were in pain but supported Avram Grant nonetheless. When Andre Villas Boas was sacked, despite the poor results in the league, the fans stood by Roberto Di Matteo. However, due to his Liverpool connections and some words he formerly said about Chelsea, the Blues fans simply refused to accept Rafa as a coach.
Throughout this Europa League journey, Benitez has proved his worth. Chelsea came into this competition via the Champions League; motivating a Champions League side to perform to their best in the sister competition is definitely a thankless job. English teams last season did not give their all in this competition. Chelsea was in it to win it from the first second.
Chelsea suffered in each round. Sparta Prague pushed them to the limits at Stamford Bridge; the Blues dug the tie out 1-2, having won 0-1 in Russia in the first leg. They took on Steaua Bucharest in the next round and struggled again, pulling through, 2-3, on aggregate. In the quarterfinals, they put away Rubin Kazan with swagger though the final aggregate score, 5-4, seemed close. Their best result in the tournament came in the semifinals.
Against a well organized Basel side, Chelsea produced in Switzerland, winning 1-2. They took the second leg despite being down a goal at halftime. The final aggregate score of 5-2 really did reflect their dominance. In the final, Chelsea was rewarded for the second time in a year for not giving up. Benfica tore them apart in the first half but Chelsea stood strong. They slowly grew into the match in the second half; the threat of Torres up front helped them greatly.
Benitez’s faith in the former Liverpool striker paid off in the final. Benitez also stuck with Frank Lampard in the final. The English midfielder justified his selection with a good display. Benitez made all the right calls en route to the finale, including using Victor Moses in the earlier rounds. He should be applauded for his achievement.
The Spaniard might not win his final game at the Bridge against Everton. However, the Chelsea fans will surely not come out in numbers to sing songs about Di Matteo. They will surely send him off in the manner in which he deserves to be sent off. Even if the Chelsea fans do not applaud him, Benitez can walk out of the Bridge with his head held high. Few manage to keep their dignity intact under Roman Abramovich in the manner in which Benitez did.
It is about time the Spaniard receives some applause. A shiny new trophy has after all been added to the trophy cabinet. And he is the coach who delivered it.
Chelsea’s interim managers have done wonderfully at the club; however, none have been more underappreciated by the fans. When Jose Mourinho left, the fans were in pain but supported Avram Grant nonetheless. When Andre Villas Boas was sacked, despite the poor results in the league, the fans stood by Roberto Di Matteo. However, due to his Liverpool connections and some words he formerly said about Chelsea, the Blues fans simply refused to accept Rafa as a coach.
Throughout this Europa League journey, Benitez has proved his worth. Chelsea came into this competition via the Champions League; motivating a Champions League side to perform to their best in the sister competition is definitely a thankless job. English teams last season did not give their all in this competition. Chelsea was in it to win it from the first second.
Chelsea suffered in each round. Sparta Prague pushed them to the limits at Stamford Bridge; the Blues dug the tie out 1-2, having won 0-1 in Russia in the first leg. They took on Steaua Bucharest in the next round and struggled again, pulling through, 2-3, on aggregate. In the quarterfinals, they put away Rubin Kazan with swagger though the final aggregate score, 5-4, seemed close. Their best result in the tournament came in the semifinals.
Against a well organized Basel side, Chelsea produced in Switzerland, winning 1-2. They took the second leg despite being down a goal at halftime. The final aggregate score of 5-2 really did reflect their dominance. In the final, Chelsea was rewarded for the second time in a year for not giving up. Benfica tore them apart in the first half but Chelsea stood strong. They slowly grew into the match in the second half; the threat of Torres up front helped them greatly.
Benitez’s faith in the former Liverpool striker paid off in the final. Benitez also stuck with Frank Lampard in the final. The English midfielder justified his selection with a good display. Benitez made all the right calls en route to the finale, including using Victor Moses in the earlier rounds. He should be applauded for his achievement.
The Spaniard might not win his final game at the Bridge against Everton. However, the Chelsea fans will surely not come out in numbers to sing songs about Di Matteo. They will surely send him off in the manner in which he deserves to be sent off. Even if the Chelsea fans do not applaud him, Benitez can walk out of the Bridge with his head held high. Few manage to keep their dignity intact under Roman Abramovich in the manner in which Benitez did.
It is about time the Spaniard receives some applause. A shiny new trophy has after all been added to the trophy cabinet. And he is the coach who delivered it.
