Manager who John Terry couldn’t stand at Chelsea accepts surprise new job

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A former Chelsea manager has reportedly accepted a new job as he prepares to return to management next season.

Chelsea fans have seen managers come and go at such a frequent rate in the 21st century.

Legendary figures such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel have coached in the Blues dugout in recent decades. However, Avram Grant is the Chelsea manager with the highest win rate since the start of the 2004/05 season.

At the moment, Enzo Maresca is the current Chelsea head coach tasked with steering the ship at Stamford Bridge.

Blues defender Levi Colwill raved about Enzo Maresca recently by claiming the way he thinks about football is “light years above everyone else”.

• READ MORE: Former Chelsea manager has privately recommended Enzo Maresca as the ‘ideal contender’ for a different club

Rafael Benitez reaches agreement to become AEK Athens manager

According to Marca, experienced coach Rafael Benitez is expected to make a surprise return to management with Greek club AEK Athens.

It is explained that the 65-year-old Spaniard has been negotiating a move to take charge at AEK Athens.

The report claims that Benitez has reached an agreement to become the club’s new manager next season, replacing Matias Almeyda in the dugout.

If the appointment happens, it will be the first time he’s coached a Greek club in a long and successful managerial career.

Rafael Benitez recently attended Chelsea’s game in the crowd to watch their Conference League semi-final win against Djurgarden.

He’s had a small break away from management since leaving Celta Vigo, but it sounds like he’s now ready to return ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

For AEK Athens, it’s quite a statement to attract such a high-profile coach with a great reputation across European football.

John Terry never got on with Rafael Benitez

A small part of Benitez’s long career was his stint at Chelsea in the early 2010s for less than a full season.

Interestingly, Blues legend and former captain John Terry previously admitted he couldn’t stand Rafael Benitez because the pair would constantly clash.

Terry explained back in 2024: “Benitez was always Liverpool. When you come into the building, like you say you have an opportunity very early to make an impression to the group. His first impressions were ‘At Liverpool we used to this, and Liverpool this, and Liverpool that’, so me and him were like that [clashing] right from the off. Did he [Roman Abramovich] throw Benitez in to test the waters a little bit? Maybe. I didn’t think it at the time but looking back now it was a strange move.”

Terry was such a huge part of the furniture at the football club for nearly two decades, so it was important for any Chelsea manager to have a great relationship with the central defender.