Materazzi jibes are lies, says angry Benitez
CHELSEA manager Rafael Benitez has launched a stinging attack on his former Inter Milan player Marco Materazzi, as he prepares for tonight’s make-or-break Capital One Cup clash at Swansea.
Materazzi called Benitez “weak”, accused the Spaniard of making him remove pictures of ex-boss Jose Mourinho from the dressing room, and said life under him was like “being back at school”.
“He’s lying,” Benitez hit back yesterday. “Marco Materazzi is lying, just lying. Everything that he said is a lie. Simple.”
Benitez’s outburst comes as he looks to prevent another trophy slipping through his grasp, following last month’s Club World Cup final defeat, in this evening’s semi-final second leg in Wales.
To do so Chelsea must overturn Swansea’s 2-0 first leg advantage, but despite needing goals Benitez ruled out starting in-form January signing Demba Ba alongside misfiring Fernando Torres.
“It’s not easy to play both at the same time given the quality of the players playing behind,” he said. “It’s an option for 15 minutes.”
Captain John Terry is in contention for a first start since his two-month injury absence.