London, England – Shortly after parting ways with Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday, Chelsea confirmed that Rafael Benitez has been appointed interim first-team manager until the end of the season.
"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," Chelsea said in a statement.
Benitez, 52, is quite familiar with the English Premier League having served as Liverpool manager for six years, guiding the Reds to a European Cup and an FA Cup. He began his managerial career in his native Spain, most notably with Valencia, and has most recently managed in Serie A with Inter Milan.
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