Benitez hungry for silverware

Rafael Benitez says he is relishing the challenge of helping Chelsea fight for trophies on five fronts.

The interim Blues boss was unveiled to the media on Thursday evening a day after being confirmed as Roberto Di Matteo’s successor until the end of the season, with little time to prepare for Sunday’s huge clash with Manchester City.

Chelsea are 22/1 to win the game 3-2, with a 2-2 draw available at 10/1. Fernando Torres, described by Benitez as a “top class player”, is 6/1 to score first.

I’m hungrier than ever before to win trophies.

Rafael Benitez

The former Liverpool manager has been out of work since being sacked by Inter Milan in 2010 just six months after taking up the reins at the San Siro, and admitted the offer to take charge at Chelsea was too good to turn down.

“I don’t care about the short-term, we have five trophies to fight for and at the end we’ll see what happens – in football and life, you do not know what happens,” he said.

“It’s a great challenge. I was waiting for this opportunity. I was really pleased. If I do things properly I will be happy and see how things happen in the future.”

He added of his break from management: “Out of the game is not out of the game. When you have been watching games and analysing players it’s not out of the game. My mentality, my passion for the game, my forward thinking for the game is there. I’ve not lost that. I’m hungrier than ever before to win trophies.”

Chelsea are 5/1 to win the Premier League this year, while current champions City can be backed at 13/10.

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