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Posts Tagged ‘rafael-benitez’

• Hodgson says former manager agreed not to raid Anfield
• Benítez signed an agreement when he left, Hodgson adds

Roy Hodgson has accused Rafael Benítez of reneging on an agreement not to sign Liverpool players after Dirk Kuyt’s agent claimed the Holland international wants to leave for Internazionale.

The Liverpool manager received an assurance last week from Massimo Moratti, the Inter president, that the European champions had ended their interest in Kuyt and Javier Mascherano, who has since become a target for Barcelona. Kuyt’s future is now in doubt ahead of the transfer deadline after his agent, Rob Jansen, claimed negotiations are continuing with Inter despite the pledge.

“The two clubs continue to talk, but things are moving slowly,” said Jansen. “The difference between demand and offer is important. It is something between the clubs but Dirk told Liverpool he no longer wants to be involved as this is something that regards his career and life. It doesn’t mean he wants to leave at all costs, but when a club like Inter comes along it’s normal to look into the situation further.”

That drew a scornful response from Hodgson in Turkey, where he is preparing for tomorrow night’s Europa League play-off second leg against Trabzonspor without Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger, Milan Jovanovic and Maxi Rodríguez. “Dirk Kuyt has not told me he wants to go and we have not received an offer from any club for Dirk Kuyt,” he said. “There is obviously something going on behind the scenes, possibly involving the agent of Dirk Kuyt and the manager of Inter.

“At this late stage in the transfer window it would be remarkably unusual for us to accept an offer for a player we don’t want to leave for money we don’t need. I need the player. I don’t need the money. I would suggest, with all due respect, that if the agent had a serious plan to move him (Kuyt) from the club he should have been working on it four or five weeks ago, not with a few days of the window remaining, because it is very unlikely that we would receive an offer from any club that we would entertain now.

“When Benítez left the club he signed an agreement he would not poach players from Liverpool and I think that still applies. As far as I’m concerned, the agreement with Moratti still stands.”

The Liverpool manager, however, confirmed he is keen on signing the Fulham left-back Paul Konchesky despite earlier declaring that he would not pursue players from the club he took to last season’s Europa League final.

Hodgson said: “We have had discussion with Fulham but it’s by no means certain they are prepared to sell players. But I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t a name we have considered at left-back. Whether there is any business depends on the clubs.”

Talks between Liverpool and Barcelona are continuing over Mascherano, although the two clubs remain poles apart over a transfer fee. Alberto Aquilani has completed his season-long loan to Juventus and Krisztian Nemeth has signed a three-year contract with Olympiakos. “Liverpool told us that it is not a question of quality but a financial decision. As it is with others this season,” said Nemeth’s agent, Tibor Pataky.

LiverpoolRoy HodgsonRafael BenítezInternazionaleAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Benítez says Dalglish would be perfect as his successor
• ‘It was a really sad day when I had to leave Liverpool’

Football Rafael Benítez yesterday checked in at Internazionale, immediately endearing himself to his new employers by describing the job as “the perfect opportunity” while offering a piece of advice for his old ones back on Merseyside. The Spaniard said his former club should appoint Kenny Dalglish as their manager and forget about trying to lure Roy Hodgson from Premier League rivals Fulham.

“I think they should look at Kenny Dalglish,” he said. “He is the best man for the job. The owners should listen to the fans because they are unhappy. No one knows the club better than Dalglish and he would be perfect there. He wants the job and in my opinion should get it.”

Benítez, otherwise, tried to avoid talking about Liverpool at his Inter unveiling and there was no settling of scores with Tom Hicks, George Gillett or any other Liverpool suits with whom he fought. But there was the admission that, due to circumstances at Anfield, he had to go.

Benítez left Liverpool with a £6m severance payment, of course, the first £3m instalment offered in exchange for consent to his departure after one backwards step of a season and one too many disputes with the club’s hierarchy. It would be a surprise if the final pay-off did not include a confidentiality clause but there was a sense of Benítez wishing to move on from the turbulence that characterised his final few years at Anfield having, within a week of his exit, signed a two-year contract with the reigning European champions.

“It was difficult to leave Liverpool after six years working there. I had amazing times there,” said Benítez. “Also my daughter is seven, she lived most of her life there. It’s not easy but things changed so I needed to move and I had the perfect opportunity to come to Inter. The club was fantastic, the fans amazing so it was a really sad day when I had to go but things changed so it was obvious I had to do it.”

Benítez made a brief and emotional return to Merseyside last week when he donated £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group and what was described as “a significant amount” to the Lily Centre, a breast cancer support group where his wife, Montse, is patron. The causes that matter addressed, he saw little point in expending energy on Hicks and Gillett, the Liverpool co-owners whose takeover and financial problems provided the root cause of his ultimate frustrations.

Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt and even Steven Gerrard have been touted as possible signings for Inter, but a new start at a new club in a new country has not brought a new era of openness from the Spaniard when it comes to transfer targets. After recent frugal times at Anfield, he will simply be pleased to have some.

“I will try to buy good players, of a good level who will suit a top-level club but I can’t say their names. I don’t talk about players of other teams,” he said. The Italian press will soon become accustomed to hearing that line. As for those at Liverpool, Benítez added: “I have been in contact with the majority of players and the majority said thanks for everything and all the best. I talked to Gerrard when it was his birthday and he’s fine. He wants to talk about the World Cup now, not anything else.”

Despite the stark personality contrast with his Inter predecessor, Benítez’s football was not wholly dissimilar to José Mourinho’s at Chelsea, as Jorge Valdano once infamously noted. There is, he accepts, little to fix at the European champions. “I don’t think I am the anti-Mourinho but I am different,” Benítez said.

“Inter are coming off an almost perfect year. I want the footballers not to lose the desire to win. I want to keep that winning mentality and I think I can. I’m happy to have top-class players. The difficulty will be keeping this level but we can do that. I think the level is high and if we can keep that winning spirit I think we can do well. If the players can do the same again this year, for two more years or even more, it will be an historic period for the club.”

Dalglish’s son, meanwhile, has claimed his father only wants to succeed Benítez at Anfield owing to an absence of credible alternatives. Paul Dalglish, now head coach of Tampa Bay Rowdies, revealed: “It’s not as though José Mourinho is going to come and do the job. It’s not as though Fabio Capello’s going to leave England to become the next manager of Liverpool. My dad wants to do the job and he feels he is the best person available to do the job. If José Mourinho was available and he wanted to do the job, my dad wouldn’t have any interest in it because all my dad ever does is act in the best interests of Liverpool Football Club.”

Rafael BenítezLiverpoolInternazionaleAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Liverpool and Chelsea have yet to agree fee
• Israeli international expected to undergo medical, reports say

Yossi Benayoun has moved closer to a Liverpool exit after agreeing terms on a four-year contract with Chelsea, although the clubs have yet to finalise a fee for the Israel international.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, has targeted the versatile 30-year-old as a replacement for Joe Cole who, along with Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti, will be released from Stamford Bridge when his contract expires at the end of the month. Liverpool rejected a £4m inquiry from the Premier League champions for Benayoun last month and have not received another official offer since.

The midfielder, a £5m signing from West Ham United in 2007, has made no secret of his desire to return to London and has agreed in principle to join Chelsea on a four‑year deal. Reports in Israel, where Benayoun is on holiday, have claimed he will undergo a medical at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground this week.

Benayoun will be the first high-profile player to leave Anfield following Rafael Benítez’s exit should Liverpool agree a compromise figure with Chelsea. The Israel captain signed a four‑year contract at Liverpool last summer and scored nine goals in 42 appearances for the club last season. The midfielder, however, was often deployed as a substitute under Benítez and became frustrated with the former Liverpool manager as a result. Even with Benítez moving to Internazionale, Benayoun remains determined to leave for a club that can offer Champions League football and a better salary, and is expected to get his way in the coming days.

The Argentina captain, Javier Mascherano, is another established Liverpool player likely to leave the club this summer, while Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will make a decision on their futures after the World Cup. Mascherano could yet be reunited with Benítez at Internazionale.

Liverpool are assessing their options to replace Benítez and have not made an official approach to Fulham for Roy Hodgson, who is due to depart to South Africa to commentate at the World Cup. Hodgson emerged as the early favourite for the Liverpool job after the departure of Benítez almost two weeks ago but remains in the dark over the Anfield club’s intent. Reports at the weekend claimed the 62-year-old wanted confirmation of Liverpool’s interest before leaving for South Africa and would not be used as a fallback option should Anfield officials fail to secure an alternative target.

Kenny Dalglish remains interested in the job despite Liverpool’s preference for a manager with more recent experience of Europe and the Premier League. Hodgson does fulfil that criteria, and has support inside the Anfield boardroom, although Liverpool insist that, with players not due back for pre-season training until July, they are under no pressure to rush their search.

LiverpoolChelseaTransfer windowRafael BenítezAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk