Terry backtracks over Lampard exit

Terry was responding to quotes attributed to Lampard's agent, Steve Kutner, which said that the 34-year-old would depart at the end of the season. Kutner has denied making the remarks but that did not dilute the sentiment of the view that Terry put forward. Terry posted a photograph of himself and Lampard holding the FA Cup, accompanied by the comment: "Devastated is an understatement. We should retire the No8 in honour of Lamps." Terry also posted a series of hashtags, which included "hero", "legend" and "goalmachine".
Chelsea were surprised and annoyed that Terry should express such strong feelings on a delicate situation and Terry duly deleted his comments. He followed that with an explanation about how he had merely responded to the quotes attributed to Kutner, albeit underneath a photograph of Lampard with the Champions League trophy, which appeared to reinforce his original point.
Rafael Benítez, the interim Chelsea manager, who has inherited a situation that promises to be a major sideshow over the remainder of the season and which he has attempted to handle with diplomacy, could have been forgiven for cursing Terry. "I didn't know [about Terry's comments]," Benítez said. "I was surprised when they told me but that's it."
Benítez, who welcomed Demba Ba, the £7m signing from Newcastle United, to training for the first time, maintained that Lampard's professionalism would ensure that the situation did not prove disruptive. Lampard suggested last month that he was resigned to not getting a new deal and he is free to sign a pre-contract with an overseas club. In his capacity as the interim manager, Benítez has no say in whether the player ought to stay in the longer term.
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