Mata welcomes Benitez arrival

Juan Mata has hailed Rafael Benitez as "a great coach" following his fellow Spaniard's appointment as Chelsea manager.

Mata was the first Blues player to react publicly to the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday and he has now led the way in responding to the controversial decision to hand former Liverpool boss Benitez the reins until the end of the season.

He told the Daily Mail: "Rafa Benitez is a great coach. He's got lots of experience and won a lot of trophies with Liverpool, taking them to a very high level. He knows the Premier League too."

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