Freshly appointed as Chelsea's latest interim coach, Rafael Benitez could be forgiven for wondering whether he has accepted a poisoned chalice. The dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday means eight coaches have now been and gone during the nine-year tenure of trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich.

Benitez, 52, arrives with a rich pedigree, albeit almost two years since his last managerial role at Inter Milan, but in order to land the job full-time, he must contend with Abramovich's notorious impatience.

Since Jose Mourinho left in 2007 after three hugely successful years, only Carlo Ancelotti has managed to complete a full season in the Chelsea dug-out.