JANUARY 30
Battle-weary Benitez could
decide to end Liverpool FC war

Comment by Dominic King - Liverpool Echo

Suddenly it seems different. Liverpool supporters have seen Rafa Benitez linked with jobs away from Anfield before but never thought he would leave – until now.

The prospect, you see, of Benitez walking away from the club he has managed since the summer of 2004 is more real than ever before, a point which was hammered home during his weekly press conference at Melwood yesterday afternoon.

In the past, notably when Real Madrid have come calling, Benitez has batted away questions from his interrogators without fuss, insisting he could never accept another offer while he is so happy in the area.

That point, it must be stressed, is still valid; Benitez loves Liverpool life, so does his wife, Montse, and their children Claudia and Agata; he also wants to deliver success to the fans who have, in the main, given him unconditional backing.

Yes, there have been problems behind the scenes, with the owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jnr and the former chief executive, Rick Parry, but never did you get the impression that another club would bat their eyelashes and he would go. Not even Madrid, the side he grew up supporting.

Certainly in recent years, had Juventus been mooted as a possible destination, Benitez would not even have entertained the thought.

Just think of Serie A; once the league that was the envy of Europe, with its superstar performers, outstanding teams and glut of money, it now languishes behind the Premier League and Spain’s La Liga in terms of quality and finance.

Sure, certain clubs, such as Juve, have great heritage but stadiums are rarely full, even for the biggest games, and Italy’s top flight now consists of giants such as Chievo, Livorno and Catania – where, you may wonder, is the draw?

Benitez, though, appears to have grown weary of the constant battle that is now life at Anfield and the events during the latest transfer window have left him wondering what the future holds.

It explains why, then, Benitez said yesterday that he was “proud” to be linked with Juventus; there was no attempt to disguise the fact the Grand Old Lady have made noises about him replacing Ciro Ferrara at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino.

Look at it another way – Liverpool have been trying to complete the signing, on a Bosman transfer, of Milan Jovanovic from Standard Liege and have offered him a three-year deal, which would start in June.

Yet they are short of a striker now, so wouldn’t you think a deal could be done to accelerate the prospect of Jovanovic joining the Reds? When the club needs to press on, suddenly they engage the slow button. It all sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

So – given how weary it is all becoming – it hardly surprising that Juventus, who are trying to recapture their halcyon days, have sounded him out; make no mistake about it, their interest is deadly serious.

“They know the market,” Benitez said. “They know the managers and they want to find someone that is good enough for them. Again I will say I am proud (to have been linked with them) but I am also proud to be here.”

But the question everyone on The Kop will be asking now is ‘here for how long?’

The interim appointment of Alberto Zaccheroni to replace Ferrara, who was jettisoned by Juve following their defeat in the Coppa Italia by Inter Milan on Thursday night, means the story will subside for a short while.

Should the remainder of the season not map out as Liverpool expect it to, however, then it will resurface in May; Juventus are not going to give up their pursuit of Benitez and can only have taken heart from his words.

“As a manager, when a top side in Europe is watching you, that is something you have to be proud of,” Benitez said. “But, again I will say, I want to fight here, I want to do my job and I want to win. I want to do things here.”

The will to win is the same but the circumstances, clearly, have altered. Should they alter even further, do not be surprised if this particular tale reaches the conclusion few could ever have envisaged.

JANUARY 30
Benitez wants cash for players
if he's to stay at Liverpool FC

By Ian Doyle - Daily Post

Rafa Benitez has warned Liverpool FC’s board they must find new investment if he is to resist overtures from Juventus this summer.

Speculation surrounding the Spaniard intensified yesterday when the Serie A side sacked Ciro Ferrara as coach and named Alberto Zaccheroni as his replacement for the remainder of the campaign.

It leaves the door open for Juventus to make a move for number one target Benitez at the end of the season, with the Liverpool manager yesterday stating he is “proud” at the rumoured interest.

That will act as further encouragement to the Italians after Benitez earlier this week expressed his ongoing frustration at the current financial climate at Liverpool.

And while revealing assurances have been given over fresh investors and the building of the much-delayed new stadium on Stanley Park, the Spaniard has cast renewed doubt over his Anfield future by insisting the time has now come for those words to be followed by actions.

“We are working very hard in the conditions that we have at this moment,” said Benitez. “I think we have a new investor or maybe more people coming this year, the possibility of a new stadium is a big boost for everyone here.

“We have to trust and have the belief that they will happen. In the meantime, we can talk about names in the market, players who are available for free and that means we can prove that we want to go forward and we can prove that we can manage sometimes without big money.”

When asked if there needed to be concrete evidence of this happening, Benitez said: “Yes, I think that is important for all the fans and for all the people here to see these things happen.

“Everyone wants to see the team and the club progress and I think we are going in the right direction but we have to move forward.

“Sometimes this means signing players who are good and are available in the market. Sometimes it is changing things and the key at the end we know is the stadium and new investors.”

Benitez admits he is flattered by the attention from Juventus.

“As a manager you have to be proud that a top side is monitoring you but now we have finished the speculation; that is positive so now we can focus on Bolton,” he said.

“The priority for me is to win games. If we continue to win games everyone will be watching us for the right reasons. It is a positive circle. We have to talk about Bolton.

“We are working hard trying to bring players in to improve the squad. I have four years of contract. I am very happy here. I would like to win a lot of games with this club. I will continue fighting every single week, trying to do the best for my club.”

JANUARY 29
Is Rafael Benitez a good
manager or a lucky one?

Comment by David Prentice - Liverpool Echo

Napoleon’s famous quote about preferring lucky generals to clever ones has been directed at Rafael Benitez before.

Some critics have used the ‘lucky boss’ argument to suggest that fortune has somehow favoured his haul of two La Liga titles, a UEFA Cup, an FA Cup and a Champions League.

They even claim that because his two Liverpool trophies came via the lottery of a penalty shoot-out, they are somehow devalued.

Nonsense, of course.

I prefer Thomas Jefferson’s philosophy: “A bit of luck and government are good, but you’d be a fool to trust in either of them.”

But there’s no doubt that this week Rafael Benitez has got lucky.

Just as Liverpool’s roller coaster season reached the dizzying height of a home win over Spurs, then took another sickening lurch downwards at Molineux, Italian newspaper La Stampa announced Juventus’ desire to lure the Spanish manager to Turin.

A little reminder of Rafa’s stock throughout Europe – Real Madrid have tried to lure him three times to the Bernabeu – doesn’t do his standing any harm amongst wavering Reds fans.

While American owners who know next to nothing about ‘soccer’ surely can’t fail to be impressed.

Don’t for a second think the link has somehow been stage-managed. La Stampa is owned by the Agnelli family, who also own Juve.

If Marca is the Spanish media mouthpiece for Real Madrid, La Stampa is the Italian equivalent.

So should Reds fans be concerned or offering to carry Senor Benitez’s bags to JLA?

There’s no doubt that something, somewhere has gone horribly wrong at Anfield this season – and it’s not just a question of swapping an injured Italian for a Spanish playmaker.

But it’s hardly irretrievable.

Liverpool are still well placed for a fourth place finish, still have the best striker in Europe to come back and still have England’s first choice right-back to return.

They also have a manager who wants to prolong his stay as Liverpool manager until this summer and far beyond.

Managerial stability is a crucial quality in a successful football club, and Liverpool are lucky that despite their boardroom upheaval, they have a manager who wants to sick around.

In football, you make your own luck – and Benitez has made plenty of his own.

Which is why clubs of Juventus’ stature want him.

Is Rafa Benitez a good manager or a lucky one?

I’d suggest he’s both – which makes Liverpool lucky to have him.

JANUARY 26
Benitez's link to Juventus denied

BBC Sport Online

Rafael Benitez's agent insists the Liverpool boss is staying at Anfield, despite speculation linking him with a move to Serie A side Juventus.

Current manager Ciro Ferrara is under pressure because of Juve's poor form.

However, Benitez's agent Manuel Garcia Quilon said: "I have had no contact with Juventus or with any other Italian club regarding an interest on Rafa."

Benitez signed a new deal in March 2009 that could keep him at the Merseyside club until 2014.

His agent added: "There have been rumours linking Rafa to Juve, just as there have been reports linking Guus Hiddink to Juve.

"They are all media speculation and there is no truth in it. Rafa has a four-year contract with Liverpool.

"He feels he has the strength to continue with the team and he is fully focused on guiding Liverpool up the standings."

Liverpool and Juventus were knocked out of the Champions League before the winter break and lie sixth in their respective leagues.

Benitez's side are 13 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, while last weekend's 2-1 defeat by Roma was Juve's fifth loss in six Serie A games and left them 16 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.

Russia coach Hiddink was linked to Juve, who have been hit by injuries this season, before the loss to Roma and it led to Ferrara hitting out at the reports.

Meanwhile, Benitez, 49, came under fire after Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Reading earlier this month.

That defeat led former Reds captain Ronnie Whelan to say the Spaniard should be replaced.

But despite his side's poor form, Benitez received the backing of Liverpool's board.

Thor Zakariassen ©