The 52-year-old former Liverpool and Inter manager takes charge of the Blues until the end of the season following the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday morning
Rafael Benitez has been confirmed as Chelsea's new manager, after the club sacked Roberto Di Matteo in the aftermath of Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus.
The 52-year-old takes charge of the European
champions on an interim basis until the end of the current campaign
after spending almost two years out of work following his dismissal at
Inter.
CHELSEA UNDER ABRAMOVICH
6/1
Fernando Torres is 6/1 with William Hill to score first when Chelsea face Manchester City on Sunday
A statement on the club's official website read: "The owner and
the Board believe that in Benitez we have a manager with significant
experience at the highest level of football, who can come in and
immediately help deliver our objectives.
"The 52-year-old Spaniard is due to meet the players at the training ground in Cobham tomorrow [Thursday]."
Benitez
will take charge of his second Premier League club after a successful
six-year spell at Liverpool between 2004 and 2010.
His time on
Merseyside led to success in Europe as he won the club's fifth European
Cup in his second season in 2005, while he also secured the FA Cup a
year later.
Roman Abramovich relieved Di Matteo of his duties on
Wednesday morning despite the Italian guiding the club to their maiden
Champions League trophy and a seventh FA Cup last season.
Di
Matteo signed a two-year deal in the summer, but has seen his position
questioned almost continually since with Pep Guardiola thought to wanted
by the Russian oligarch to lead the club.
Benitez becomes the ninth Blues manager in nine years in the Abramovich era.
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