Is Rafa Benitez truly a Chelsea villain?
Rafa Benitez will return to a mixed reception at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Is the Spaniard truly the villain that many Chelsea fans believe him to be?
Roberto Di Matteo’s position as the manager of the club was sacrosanct to many Chelsea fans, especially after he led the club to their maiden Champions League title. Nobody could have imagined that Di Matteo would be shown the door in just six months’ time.
But on November 21st, every Chelsea fan’s fears were affirmed when Abramovich decided to sack the Italian after a 3-0 drubbing by Antonio Conte’s imperious Juventus. Chelsea were in the throes of another disastrous November and the defeat to Juventus underlined the miserable form.
It was perhaps a reminder that Abramovich’s shadow loomed over every manager at the club. As long as he held the reins, he will call the shots.
There were whispers of Avram Grant being brought in again to stabilize the sinking ship. Pep Guardiola too was an illustrious name on Abramovich’s shortlist, but the Spaniard was unwilling to suspend his year-long sabbatical from football.
Hours later, Rafa Benitez was unveiled as the new Chelsea interim manager. This announcement was looked upon with disdain by Chelsea fans all around the world. Benitez’s stint as Liverpool manager still remained fresh in the memory.
‘Rafa Out’ banners were brought in at Stamford Bridge. Benitez, to his credit, kept his mind strictly on the job, ignoring boos ringing out around the stadium. He already had his hands full, as he had to deal with a side bereft of confidence, completely devoid of the spirit which had led them to the Champions League title.
He did a tremendous job with the side on the pitch, as he secured a Champions League berth in addition to winning the Europa League.
Why are some sections of supporters still fiercely critical of the Spaniard? There are several reasons why they shouldn’t be.
Inconsistent Criticism
Chelsea fans held Benitez’s alleged statements against him like a sword. Benitez had apparently said that he would never manage Chelsea – albeit just out of respect for Liverpool. Samuel Eto’o (who had ridiculed the club far more) was greeted with warm applause when Jose Mourinho signed him the following year.
Jose Mourinho made some distasteful comments whilst in charge of Chelsea, the second time around, although he never received any backlash. Mourinho is a far more important name in the club’s history, but does that make him infallible? Even the recent digs by Mourinho were conveniently ignored by many fans, plainly due to his stature.
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Brand of football
Benitez offered tremendous freedom to the telepathic duo of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, without losing defensive stability. His tenure was characterised by responsible defensive and creative attacking play.
His Chelsea side’s attacking ruthlessness was best exemplified during the 8-0 hammering of Aston Villa in December. Fans were vexed by his decision to relegate club hero, John Terry to the substitutes, even when it was clear that Terry was struggling to adjust to the pace of the game.
One should keep in mind that Terry’s renaissance under Mourinho was largely down to the Portuguese’s ‘pragmatic’ tactics. Hence, blaming Benitez for employing positive tactics was very harsh.
Reinvigorated the squad, even Torres!
Even though the League form under Benitez was patchy, Chelsea were brilliant in the Europa League. Every Chelsea fan’s dreams of seeing Fernando Torres score consistently were realised only under Benitez, when the Spaniard smashed in 6 goals in 7 games in the Europa League. That included a vital goal in the final.
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Benitez received unwarranted criticism and his dismissal was very harsh. It’s unfortunate that the Spaniard’s short legacy at the club was quickly forgotten after the return of Jose Mourinho. His tenure as Chelsea manager would be sadly remembered for highlighting the dichotomy between the Board and the fans, overshadowing his achievements on the pitch.