Former coach could step in at any minute to replace under-fire Spaniard.
Chelsea head coach Rafa Benitez will be in charge of the West London club for Saturday’s Premier League encounter with West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge, although the Spaniard could still be removed from his post before the end of the campaign, while Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho looks like replacing the former Liverpool boss as of next season, says the Evening Standard.
Benitez launched an extraordinary outburst in his post-match press conference following the Blues’ 2-0 win at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday night, criticising both the club’s fans and their billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich in the process.
However, Chelsea released a statement on Thursday saying that it was “business as usual”, although should their poor recent league form continue for much longer and threaten the club’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, then it is understood that ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant will replace the Spaniard and take temporary charge of the team until the summer.
And, come the end of the season, Chelsea will hope to have a deal in place to bring another one-time head coach back to the Bridge, with informal talks believed to have already taken place with Madrid manager Mourinho, who is expected to depart the Spanish capital this summer.
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