Yossi Benayoun has singled out Rafael Benitez as the reason he left Liverpool for Premier League rivals Chelsea, accusing the Spaniard of trying to break him and treating him with a lack of respect.
Benayoun, who joined Chelsea for an undisclosed fee on July 2, blames Benitez - who has also left the club for Inter Milan - for his decision to leave Anfield.
He told the News of The World: "I made up my mind to leave a long time ago because of Benitez. He never treated me with the respect I deserved. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit."
Benayoun added: "When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game.
"And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn't understand why."
The 30-year-old continued: "There are many examples of him treating me badly.
"Last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed. They thought I was playing well but Benitez told me he was surprised they booed because I was not good enough.
"It was as if the fans' reaction worked against me. The situation got worse afterwards.
"He tried to destroy my confidence. You can't treat a player like this and expect him to be happy."
"I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt."
Source: PA
