Benitez warms to PSG link

Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez has suggested that he would be open to taking charge at Paris Saint-Germain next season.

The Spaniard will leave his post at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, with Goal.com exclusively revealing that Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is set to take over, while current PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti has been linked with a switch to the Bernabeu.

Benitez helped guide the Blues to Europa League glory on Wednesday as Branislav Ivanovic’s late winner secured a 2-1 win over Benfica and, speaking to reporters after the match, the former Liverpool manager refused to rule out a move to PSG.

“You never know,” the Blues boss said when quizzed over a possible move to Paris in the summer by BeIn Sport.

Reflecting on the victory over the Portuguese side, Benitez added: “We played against a very good team. We are very happy to win this trophy. There was a lot of pride and joy at the final whistle.

“My future? I still have a game and I have a title to celebrate. We will have time to think about it.”

Meanwhile, Jorge Jesus said Benfica deserved to be crowned Europa League winners.

“Chelsea came back in the same manner as Porto did (at the weekend). We conceded a goal from a set-piece at the very end,” Jesus told reporters.

“It was a final with two good teams on show, but Benfica were on top for nearly the entire match. We lacked a slight tinge of luck to gain an advantage.

“And even after we equalised, we created a chance which we should have taken. We played a great game, but football punished us in a game which, on the basis of how we performed, we should have been the winners of.”