Chelsea fans vow to stay away until Benitez is sacked... and Real Madrid may offer him escape route to replace Jose
By Neil Ashton
Angry Chelsea fans have decided to boycott matches until Rafa Benitez is dumped.
Supporters believe the club is being torn apart by the way it is being run and are determined to see the back of the interim manager.
Boycott: Angry Chelsea fans are preparing to boycott matches until current boss Rafa Benitez (pictured) leaves
After Chelsea’s shock 2-0 home defeat by Swansea on Wednesday in the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg, the depth of anger being felt by fans was expressed by Trizia Fiorellino, chair of the Chelsea Supporters’ Group, who said: ‘We are in turmoil and there is a danger we will lose the soul of the club.
‘I know of fans who will not watch Chelsea until Rafa Benitez has gone.
'In my experience, fans who stop watching the club don’t come back.’
Backlash: Fans are calling for Benitez's head... and they want Frank Lampard to stay instead
Chairman Bruce Buck was showered with abuse before the match and supporters went on to chant the names of former managers Jose Mourinho and Roberto Di Matteo during a fractious first leg.
One fan even ran down the steps of the East Stand at the final whistle and shouted: ‘**** off, Benitez’ after the reigning European champions failed to beat the high-flying Swans.
Fiorellino added: ‘The booing of Bruce Buck was universal and vitriolic. It was a serious miscalculation by someone at the club to let him on the pitch before the game.
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‘We are fully appreciative of everything Roman Abramovich has done for the club but Benitez is not the right fit for Chelsea.
‘He was brought in to get the best out of Fernando Torres, but if anything the body language has become even worse.
‘There is a lot of disharmony among the supporters about everything that is happening and it is tearing the club apart.’
Nightmare at the Bridge: Swansea pulled off a shock win in the Capital One Cup
Real Madrid have targeted Benitez as a potential summer replacement for Jose Mourinho, should the Portuguese leave in the summer.
Chelsea fans are also furious with the treatment of midfield legend Frank Lampard as he enters the final phase of his career at the club.
Fiorellino added: ‘It is an unpopular decision to let Lampard leave and it seems John Terry may be next.’
Owner Abramovich, who is on the Caribbean island of St Barts on an extended holiday, has been made aware of fans’ fury by senior figures at the club after they were humiliated by Michael Laudrup’s side
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