Former Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez has said that he wishes the club's supporters had been more patient at the start of his tenure but is pleased with the way his reign ended.

Under the Spaniard the Blues won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League next season by finishing third in the Premier League.

Benitez told reporters: "A lot of fans supported me in the end. Maybe some of them couldn't change their minds. You can only win trophies at the end of the season. You cannot win them in the first month with a new team.

"You have to be patient but in football that's more difficult. But we did our job and I hope everyone could enjoy it. We did what we had to do — that's the main thing."

Benitez has been linked with Napoli following the end of his interim spell at the Blues.

Written by
Simon Sinclair