Chelsea fans were vehemently protesting against the appointment of Benitez by owner Abramovich. The Spaniard, who replaced the successful Di Matteo in November, was greeted with banners that read ‘Rafa Out’, indicating that the fans had not forgotten about the controversial comments Benitez made during his reign as Liverpool boss.

The 52-year-old initially claimed he would win over the fans, but has been unable to garner their support. The fans have consistently lashed out against him at home matches, and Benitez angrily blamed them for affecting the team’s performance at home matches. He also announced his departure at the end of the season during that rant.

However, the Blues boss has found support in the form of Juan Mata, who claims he is the right man to deliver trophies and achieve a top-four finish at the club. Chelsea are still in the hunt for Europa League and FA Cup glory, and also face a fight to qualify for Champions League next season.

But Mata has backed Benitez to deliver and told Metro, “The job Rafa is doing is the best for the club. He is trying to win. We still have a chance to win two trophies and my opinion is that we can do that, and we can turn this into a good season – one which will make the fans happy. Our objective for the season is to win these two titles and to get into the Champions League. That is very important. We still have a lot to play for this year.”

Benitez has already lost out on the Club World Cup, overseeing a 1-0 reverse at the hands of Corinthians. Their Champions League destiny was out of his hands and they were already seven adrift in the league when he took over the reins at Stamford Bridge.

But apart from the Club World Cup, he has not done much wrong at Chelsea. He has steered them to a FA Cup semi-final and possible Europa League semi-final after seeing off Rubin Kazam 3-1 in the first leg. Their top-four aspirations also lie in their own hands.

However, their season still hangs very much in the balance. A top-four finish with a trophy would be deemed as a success. Anything less than that would be considered a mediocre season for the Champions League winners.

Benitez has not enjoyed much success since his exit at Liverpool and he is determined to prove his critics wrong by having a successful season with the London outfit. With teammates firmly behind him, could Benitez lead them to a double along with Champions League football next season?