Benitez reveals why Fernando Torres has struggled at Chelsea

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Rafa Benitez discussed Fernando Torres and his role at Chelsea.

“I think he can be good. I’m not sure he will be at the same level that he was when he was at Liverpool with us. But he’s improving his fitness. He has been working so hard in the gym, and his pace is nearly there. He’s very strong. So he can beat defenders running, and now it’s just confidence.”

Just confidence. Heard that one before.

“He has to find the timing for his runs and the right movements, and he will be much better. How good? Can he be at the same level [as in the past]? I’m not sure. It depends on a proper preseason, training with the team, doing a lot of the things that he was doing this year. We’ll see how he feels at the beginning of next season.”

Fernando Torres has scored 22 goals – twice as many as he managed last season – in 63 matches for Chelsea in the 2012/13 season. Valuable goals, too. His strike vs Brentford in the FA Cup to force a replay, and his goals to open the scoring in the Europa League final, to name but two.

Benitez: Job done at Chelsea

Rafael Benitez declared "job done" at Stamford Bridge as he prepares for his final match as Chelsea manager against Everton on Sunday.

After seven months in charge of the Blues, the Spaniard has led Chelsea back to the Champions League as well as leading them to Europa League glory on Wednesday.



After months of criticism while in charge, Benitez said: "It doesn't matter what some people will say. I think the job is done."



And Benitez maintains that his successor, whether Mourinho or not, will inherit a vastly-improved team.

"I think maybe the next manager will have some experience here, too, so I don't need to give him any advice," said Benitez, again suggesting he believes Mourinho will be in charge next term.



"It's a stronger team. The players they have been improving and they have more experience.



"The team will be much better and the new manager, I think, will have an easier task because he will have more quality, more experience and he will start in pre-season. That is also an advantage."



Benitez has had numerous critics since his November appointment after Champions League-winning boss Roberto Di Matteo's departure, not least the supporters.



"You cannot convince everyone," the former Liverpool boss added.



"I've been consistent in my message. I was trying to do my best every single day. I did it the other day and we won.



"I did it yesterday and I will try to do it on Sunday and after in America [for next week's post-season friendlies with Manchester City]."



Benitez has no regrets about taking up the job and highlighted qualification for the Champions League, lifting the Europa League trophy and scoring eight goals against Aston Villa in December as his most memorable moments at Stamford Bridge.



He said: "I am a manager and I like to manage a top side. Chelsea is a top side so I was quite pleased with this option.



"I think we played very good football, very attractive football during the whole season.



"We have scored 145 goals. That is the record in the history of the club. It's quite important.



"As a manager you have to be satisfied. A lot of very good memories."

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Rafa eyes Europa glory

Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has urged his side to take their last opportunity to claim a trophy after reaching the Europa League final.



The Blues battled back from a goal behind to beat Swiss side FC Basel 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Thursday and seal a 5-2 aggregate victory.

The London club will now face Portuguese side Benfica in the final at the Amsterdam Arena on May 15, their second successive European final.

After defeats in the Club World Cup final, Community Shield and Super Cup this season, Benitez hopes his players can take their last chance to win silverware this campaign.

"We have one more opportunity to win a big title," he told ITV. "We have lost three finals this season.

"I am really pleased for them and everyone here. I think we have had a good atmosphere in the side. The players are working hard.

"To be fair we had two clear chances first half and we failed to take them. They then score and we had to react. Credit to the players in the second half. They were on top of them and we scored three goals. We controlled the game.

"At half-time we agreed about that. We showed the concentration and mentality at the start of the half. We killed off the game. We have to think of that for the future."

Looking towards the final, Benitez said: "It'll be tough because Benfica are a very, very dangerous team and hard to play against, but at least we are there.

"With the commitment and the quality, we'll have a chance for sure."

John Terry did not start the second-leg and Benitez would not be drawn on whether the defender would be in the starting line-up for the final, having been suspended for the Champions League decider in Munich last year.

"I don't know because we have too many games to play before," said Benitez.

"The main thing for me is to enjoy today and be ready for the challenge of Manchester United, and then Tottenham.

"One game at a time, and concentrate on the job in hand."

Basel boss Murat Yakin was impressed by Chelsea and thinks they can go on and win the final.

"They have the team," he said. "They're really clever, experienced, they know how to win things.

"I hope my team have given them really good preparation to go into that final and, hopefully, win it.

"Chelsea showed how clever they are, and it's the little details that catch you out.

"We need that bit more experience to make the step up. The little details make the difference."


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Mata: Benitez is a great manager

Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata has hailed Rafael Benitez, insisting his fellow Spaniard is a "great" manager.



The 53-year-old was appointed by the London club on an interim basis after UEFA Champions League-winning boss Roberto Di Matteo was relieved of his duties in November.



But his arrival was poorly received by a large section of the club's support, with the former Liverpool coach being roundly booed throughout his first few fixtures at the helm.



However, with Chelsea's bid for a top-four finish and UEFA Europa League glory having picked up pace of late, Mata believes his compatriot deserves praise.



"Rafa is a manager who has had great seasons at every club that he was at," he said. "And since he came he's just tried to do his best with the team, analysing the rivals, getting ready for every game and trying to do his best for the team.



"So for me and for the players I think he's a great manager. We are now at the end of the season trying to be in the third position so that's where we're aiming and having a chance to win a trophy so maybe the season at the end will be good for us and for Rafa as well and that will be because of his job."



The Spain international went on to lament his side's failure to progress beyond the group stages when defending their UEFA Champions League crown this term.



"We were out from the group and every time I watched a game on TV from the Champions League I think it's a shame," he added.



"But on the other hand, I would rather be positive and think we have a chance to win another trophy as we did last season.



"So obviously to get out in the first group was a disappointment for us and the club but suddenly we have a chance. So you never know until the end and you now have another chance to win a big trophy."

Rodgers: Rafa welcomed back

Brendan Rodgers says there is no doubt Rafa Benitez will receive an excellent reception on his return to Liverpool this weekend.



The Spaniard heads back to his former club on Sunday, for the first since leaving in 2010 after a six-year stint at Anfield in which he led them to UEFA Champions League victory.

And current Reds boss Rodgers believes Benitez will receive a rapturous welcome when he returns for Liverpool's Chelsea showdown.

The Northern Irishman said: "It won't be strange in any way at all.

"It is a club with supporters who are very respectful. They still sing Kenny's (Dalglish) name and rightly so, a legend at the club as a player and a manager.

"There is absolutely no question Rafael Benitez will get an excellent reception because of the great work he did here.

"The football club as a whole always respect former players and managers.

"He obviously had a real good time here, won the Champions League and FA Cup in his six years here, so I am sure he will get a fantastic reception."

Rodgers is yet to feel the pressure of not achieving success at a club with Liverpool's glorious past.

"It is interesting," he said. "The season they actually won the Champions League (under Benitez) they finished on 58 points and outside of the top four," added the Northern Irishman.

"The season before Gerard Houllier had 60 points and finished in fourth place.

"But everyone knows the history of that season (2004-05) in terms of the Champions League and by winning that it buys you another season in there which you can build and move forward.

"The history is history, and it is an incredible history, and it is easy for me to appreciate the history because that was one of the key reasons for me coming here.

"But you can't be held hostage to it. You have to chip away at being the best you can be.

"The focus is purely on the job and improving the team.

"If you put too much pressure on then it becomes even more difficult."

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Benitez explains Terry absence

Rafa Benitez has defended his decision to leave out John Terry against Manchester City and says he had to rotate his Chelsea squad.

Terry played no part in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final and had to watch on from the dug out as City ran out 2-1 winners to set up a final date with Wigan Athletic back at Wembley. Benitez has been criticised for leaving Terry out of the side but the Spaniard stands by his decision to go with David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic in the heart of the defence. Benitez was also amazed by the headlines in the press which suggested Terry is incapable of playing two games in a week after he figured against Rubin Kazan, and insists his comments have been misinterpreted. "I am surprised with the headline,"



he said. "I tried to say that for some players, to play two games a week is not easy. It depends on the condition of each player. "At this moment, Cahill, Ivanovic and Luiz are doing well, so we have to manage the squad."

Rafa: Chelsea can cope

Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez is confident his side can cope with their fixture pile-up and progress to two cup finals.

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The Blues will face Swiss side Basel in a two-legged Europa League semi-final after edging past Rubin Kazan on Thursday but before then they face Manchester City in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday.

Benitez's side also have seven Premier League games left as they look to secure a top-four finish.

"We've tried to manage our squad and we have players with some fresh legs," said Benitez. "Hopefully we will be fine. We have too many games and we have to use the squad. Everyone has to be on their toes.

"They are doing really well. I was praising them yesterday and today. You could see last night (Paolo) Ferreira had to play at left-back and he'd not played for a while. (Nathan) Ake is a young player. (Victor) Moses and Yossi (Benayoun) were working hard. They did really well."

Sunday's match against a City side who have not conceded a goal in this season's FA Cup will be Chelsea's sixth game in 16 days.

City beat Chelsea 2-0 in February at Eastlands, with Frank Lampard missing a penalty, but Benitez believes his team have learned from the experience.

"They (City) are a good team in a good position in the table, and did well against Manchester United the other day," added Benitez. "We know it'll be difficult but it's a semi-final in a massive competition.

"We know what we did wrong against them in the league and we'll make sure we don't make the same mistakes.



"They're a good team, a strong squad. They have a manager with experience and they have confidence at the moment. We know we'll have to do our best if we want to progress."

Benitez upbeat despite defeat

Rafa Benitez believes Chelsea will reach the Europa League quarter-finals despite losing 1-0 to Steaua Bucharest.



Raul Rusescu scored the only goal of the last-16 first-leg clash after he was fouled by left-back Ryan Bertrand.



Interim manager Benitez called the penalty award "soft", but is optimistic ahead of next Thursday's second leg.



"We know that we have to do our job now at home," said Benitez, whose side must first travel to Manchester United for an FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.



"In these kind of games and this kind of competition, if you don't score away it's always more difficult. Still, you have to believe.



"We are disappointed, but still we have the belief we will win at home."



The decisive moment came when left-back Iasmin Latovlevici crossed with the outside of his right foot towards Rusescu, who was pulled back by Bertrand and converted the resulting penalty.



"I think it was very soft," Benitez told ESPN. "You cannot change the situation but it is very soft."



Bertrand was booked for the foul, which Benitez argued was further evidence that Russian referee Sergei Karasev made the wrong decision in pointing to the spot.



The Chelsea boss claimed that the position of the foul made it a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, and that the referee should have sent off Bertrand if he thought it was a penalty.



"If you give the penalty, why not the (red) card? Strange."



Benitez made five changes to the side which beat West Brom 1-0 in the Premier League last Saturday.



But he insisted that Sunday's FA Cup trip to Old Trafford had not been a distraction.



He said: "It's another competition and atmosphere. It will be totally different. It's another challenge for us."



Goalkeeper Petr Cech also felt Chelsea deserved better than a defeat, but is confident they can come back in the second leg to reach the quarter-finals.



"This is not the result we want to get away from home in the first leg but to be fair we had better chances than them," said Cech.



"I hardly made a save all game. They had a penalty and they scored from there and they won. We're just disappointed we didn't score.



"We made it hard for the return leg but 1-0 is not a result you can't overcome."



Steaua were spurred on by a vociferous 55,000 crowd, which booed every Chelsea touch and loudly roared their own team on.



Their manager Laurentiu Reghecampf said: "Tonight we only wanted to score and to stop Chelsea from scoring. This is just the result.



"Regardless of what will happen in London, they have to be congratulated for winning against a very, very good team.



"This game is played in two games. We have to perform even better than tonight in London in order to qualify for the quarter-finals."