28 Feb 2013

Benitez confirms exit and blasts Chelsea fans

6:40 pm on 28 February 2013

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez's patience with the London football side's fans finally snapped as he confirmed his intention to leave the club at the end of the season.

Benitez has been targeted by sections of the club's support ever since he was appointed as the successor to Roberto Di Matteo last November.

Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 2-0 this morning to book an FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United, and they are also in the last 16 of the Europa League, but have slipped to fourth place in the English Premier League.

Benitez was only appointed on a temporary basis but confirmed in an angry press conference that the abuse he has received from some of Chelsea's fans prompted him to abandon his ambition to coach the team on a permanent basis.

Benitez also appeared to take issue with the Chelsea management for insisting on the temporary nature of his employment and says someone made a mistake with his title 'interim manager' - so the fans are wasting their time as he will leave at the end of the season.