Share

Benitez not bowing to fans

London - Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez once again refused on Tuesday to apologise for comments made about the London club's fans while he was in charge of Liverpool.

Benitez was given a frosty reception by supporters upon his introduction as Chelsea boss during Sunday's draw with English Premier League champions Manchester City, with the fans unhappiness at the sacking of Champions League-winning manager Roberto di Matteo compounded by the appointment of the Spaniard as his successor.

And a large section of Chelsea support wants Benitez to say "sorry" for comments, taken to be a dig at the Blues.

Some of those words have have been immortalised on the walls of Liverpool's Melwood training ground.

"We do not need to give away flags for our fans to wave - our supporters are always there with their hearts and that is all we need.

"It's the passion of the fans that helps to win matches - not flags."

But Benitez, speaking Tuesday ahead of the west London derby with Fulham, insisted he would not be raking over the past and what mattered now was results, with Chelsea currently five points behind league leaders Manchester united.

"The problem is we can analyse what I said and didn't say," he said.

"We can't be checking if it's true or not. I'll try my best to win their trust. That's it."

As for the comments now inscribed at Melwood, Benitez simply said: "I was praising the fans of my club, my team.

"But I'm here now, it's my club, and I will do my best for them.

"That's my explanation, very easy and very simple.

"I will try to defend my club, and this is now my club."

As for the prospect of receiving more verbal taunts from Chelsea fans, Benitez said: "To be fair, I don't know.

"But I can say that, since coming here, I've worked really hard, coming in at 8.30am and leaving at 8.30 at night, doing my job, talking to players and staff and trying to be ready for the game."

He added: "I can't worry if I'm upset or not.

"If it was a player, I'd be telling him to concentrate on his job. The best way to change things is to win games.

"I understand the feelings of the fans because of my time at Liverpool, where we had rivalry and it was quite difficult.

"But, at the same time, I will try to prove I'm here for the right reasons.

"We want to win, and we can do that together.

"I'll try to improve players and it'll be easier to win games and bring the fans back.

"It's not a situation we can change in one minute. But working hard, winning games, I can improve it. Starting with Fulham."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1223 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1419 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2150 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE