JUNE 7
Benitez checks in at Anfield

By Chris Bascombe - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool are on the brink of confirming Rafael Benitez's appointment as manager.

The ex-Valencia coach is heading to Merseyside to rubber-stamp his position as the 16th manager at Anfield.

Liverpool are now preparing an official announcement and Benitez could be in the job within the next 48 hours. Chief executive Rick Parry returned from holiday over the weekend to finalise details of an outstanding selection.

No last ditch problems are anticipated when further talks are held with the 44-year-old coach today.

Benitez was always the Reds' first choice to replace Gerard Houllier, despite speculation linking the club with the likes of Alan Curbishley and Jose Mourinho.

From the early stages, it was clear Benitez fit the bill as he boasts an impressive mix of European flair and a studious knowledge of the English game.

Benitez was known to be disillusioned with life at the Spanish champions and eager to test himself in the Premiership.

From the moment he quit the UEFA Cup holders last week, he was in regular contact with Anfield officials.

His arrival looks sure to convince Michael Owen to pledge his immediate future to the club.

Owen is known to be a huge admirer of Valencia's style of football and has admitted in the past the Spanish champions are one of the most impressive teams he's faced.

Any prospect of a successful Chelsea bid for Steven Gerrard after Euro 2004 also looks doomed, especially if the Madrid -born coach recruits some of the Valencia players believed to be on his wanted list at Anfield.

Further changes in the structure of the back-room team are anticipated following Benitez's arrival.

His Valencia assistant Francisco Ayestaran has followed Benitez in the past. He moved with him from Tenerife to the Mestalla Stadium four years ago, although it's still unclear if he'll follow Benitez to Anfield.

If he does, it is likely to affect Phil Thompson, who hasn't been guaranteed a job under the new regime.

Sammy Lee, who speaks fluent Spanish from his time playing for Osasuna, is likely to stay at Liverpool.

Ian Rush, currently studying for the coveted UEFA 'pro' licence, is also understood to be a popular choice among the squad and supporters for a more permanent role.

JUNE 4
Benitez remains uncertain on future

BreakingNews.ie

Liverpool target Rafael Benitez insists he does not know what he will be doing next season after stepping down from Spanish champions and UEFA Cup winners Valencia.

The 44-year-old Spaniard is favourite to take over from the departed Gerard Houllier at Anfield but other clubs are reportedly keen to appoint Benitez.

“Winning a league and the UEFA Cup in the same year are sufficient motives for a lot of clubs to put their attention my way, or to look at the players,” he said.

“However, my agent (Manuel Garcia Quilon), who has the professional obligation to listen to every team, has told me there is still nothing concrete with any of those teams.

“There is interest from various clubs, but nothing more. When my agent has weighed up the offers, he’ll give me his thoughts and we will decide if one of them is convincing enough.”

Benitez claims his departure from the Mestalla had nothing to do with money.

“I have been working in a highly-paid profession for 18 years, and successfully in recent years,” he added.

“Money arrives, and when you are happy with your family that has no price.

“When I didn’t have any money I noticed the difference between having a little and having a lot, but not between having a lot and between having an awful lot.”

“The most important thing is my family.”

JUNE 3
Benitez reveals motives for Valencia decision

TEAMtalk

Former Valencia coach Rafael Benitez has broken his silence for the first time since his decision to leave the club on Tuesday.

Benitez, who is favourite to take over at Liverpool, was only able to read a few lines of a prepared statement before breaking down in tears at the press conference to announce his departure, but now the 44-year-old has further explained his decision.

Benitez was clearly hurt by insinuations by club captain David Albelda that he had left for money, insisting that was not the case.

"I'm very grateful to Valencia," he told radio station Onda Cero.

"I owe them a lot and I have that in mind, it's not a question of money. There have been too many things.

"(Albelda) has shown he doesn't know me well," he said.

"I'm 44, I know what I want and my family are settled. I'm not motivated by money and I don't need it to be happy, what I need are the correct conditions to work in."

Benitez is being tipped to take the reins at Liverpool and admits that even though this season had seen him win the Primera Liga and Uefa Cup with Valencia, he felt he had reached the end of the line.

He continued: "I'm very happy with my time at Valencia and very sad for having taken my decision.

"Any choice was not going to be easy but my wife and I have evaluated everything and we think we have given an awful lot and we can't offer that 150% in the future."

Benitez also implied that it was not only his relationship with the board, but also with the players that was behind his departure.

He explained: "I have the capacity to continue at Valencia, but I don't have the strength to demand 110% from my players in every game.

"The relationship with them was not easy and my fourth year at the club was going to be very complicated, that is why I said I was not continuing.

"It's a sincere and coherent reason," said Benitez, who was in favour of the possible return of Claudio Ranieri, replaced at Chelsea earlier this week by Porto's Champions League-winning coach Jose Mourinho, to succeed him.

"I have a good relationship with him, he's a good coach and I think it's a very good decision," he concluded.

JUNE 3
Hola! to Mr Serious

Chief Feature Writer Paddy Shennan Reports From Valencia
On The Fans' Reaction To The Resignation Of
Liverpool FC's Most Wanted Man, Rafael Benitez

You can almost smell the bitter disappointment hanging in the air outside Valencia's Mestalla stadium.

Well, I say "stadium" ... from the outside it looks more like a monstrous carbuncle of a multi-storey car park.

The natives here are restless. And some of them are revolting, which explains the ugly graffiti (translation not appropriate for a family newspaper) daubed on the Mestalla's already ugly walls.

It hadn't been there when ECHO photographer Martin Birchall and I had first visited the 55,000-seater stadium shortly before midnight the previous day: the day of doom for all fans of Valencia Club de Futbol - the day Rafael Benitez blubbed for Spain as he said "Adios" to a club he clearly loves. And the club whose trophy room he did so much to furnish with silver.

But overnight, a different kind of decoration had taken place. And it wasn't a pretty sight (most of the poison and bile, it should be pointed out, was directed at the club's directors. One scrawled message thanked Benitez for what he had done for Valencia).

Into this uncomfortable atmosphere, with a good deal of bravery, walked ex-pat John Treacy, 21, formerly of Wallasey.

John - whose dad, Vince, was a Radio Merseyside DJ between 1970 and 1974 and now works as a DJ in Benidorm, just an hour's drive from his son's home in Valencia - is a lifelong Red.

And, despite being on the receiving end of some heavy-duty abuse from passing, more-than-peeved Valencians, he was delighted to be able to sport a Liverpool shirt ... with the name 'Benitez' on the back.

"This is a great day for Liverpool Football Club," says John, who's been in Valencia for two years and helps run the city's Guru nightclub.

"Raf Benitez is a great coach who got the whole of Valencia behind the club and then produced a winning teamon a relatively small budget and without buying any superstars."

So, they call him "Raf." But do they have any proper nicknames for the man with the Midas touch from Madrid?

Before I flew out to Valencia, Sky Sports' Spanish soccer pundit Guillem Balague told me that Benitez was too serious to have nicknames. And John agrees.

"But if he did have one it would probably be 'Mr Serious' - or, rather, 'El Serio'!"

Benny, sorry, Benitez, he says, is serious about most things. Especially success. And achieving success through playing attractive football.

"All his training sessions are said to be based purely on skill. His players work on one-touch passing all the time, so I think a few of the current players we've got at Liverpool might struggle with him as manager!

"He also believes in using the full width of the pitch, something which we haven't seen Liverpool teams do too much recently. I wouldn't be surprised if he bought someone like Ryan Giggs from Manchester United to play on the wing."

A trip to a foreign city wouldn't be the same without a trip to ... an Irish bar. In this case, an Irish bar called Sally O'Brien's, which employs 22-year-old Derek Owen, who comes from ... Dundee. Well, why not?

The bar, which is just a couple of minutes walk from Valencia's ground is, says Derek, a favourite haunt of the club's goalkeeper, Santiago Canizares (favourite tipple: gin and tonic - but just the one per visit, of course).

Derek, a Valencia season ticketholder, says: "Benitez going has been a big shock to the fans. There hadn't been much in the Press or on TV about what might or might not happen and it was only two days ago that I found out he could possibly be going.

"I think people will feel let down and some will be surprised he's decided to go. I think Liverpool is a big club but I'd say Valencia is the bigger of the two. Also, the English game is improving, but it's still not as good as the Spanish league."

And regarding the difference between the English and Spanish way of life, Derek says: "I think Benitez will find it difficult to adapt, not least because we eat five times a day over here!"

Read this and feel a little queasy - because Derek explains: "People will have something to eat between 8am and 10am; between 10am and noon; between 2pm and 4pm (lunch - a big meal); between 5pm and 7pm and 10pm and midnight (dinner).

Perhaps that's why Raffy, Benny -whatever- is coming over to Liverpool: he just wants to lose weight. He's tried the Atkins' Diet and now he wants to try the Anfield Diet. Or perhaps not.

Derek then showed us a tabloid sportspaper, Super Deporte, which had a contender for headline of the year. The picture was of a gloomy-looking Benitez, who appeared to be rubbing his nose. And the headline? "Esto Huele Mal!" (It Smells Bad!)

Time for some fresh air ... The pavements around Valencia's elegant town hall are not paved with gold, but marble is still pretty impressive - as are the city's wide, tree-lined shopping streets, its beautiful gardens, squares and fountains and its enormous beach.

I know you're leaving a lot behind, Benny, but you ARE coming to the European Capital of Culture for 2008.

Valencia, says John Treacy, is a place where people often seem busy

... doing nothing: "There's such a different mentality over here. With all the eating, the siestas, the stop-ping and starting, three hours of work is considered a hard day."

But that description, from what I've repeatedly been told by Valencians, doesn't apply to Rafael Benitez, who, it seems certain, will be putting in much more than three hours a day at Anfield.

Whether his efforts and expertise will be enough to bring the Reds a first title success since 1990 remains to be seen. But very few people in Valencia would bet against him bringing that elusive piece of silver-ware back to Anfield ...

JUNE 2
Liverpool wait on manager

BBC Sport Online

Liverpool are unlikely to appoint a new boss until next week, despite Rafael Benitez's departure from Valencia.

Benitez increased speculation he will succeed the sacked Gerard Houllier when he quit the Spaniards on Tuesday.

But with Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry not back at the club until at least 7 June, it seems the Anfield club are no nearer to appointing a new boss.

Parry will be involved in the decision-making process but is still away on holiday in Barbados.

Liverpool refused to comment on speculation linking Benitez with the role.

But a spokesperson added: "Rick Parry will not be returning from holiday until the week commencing 7 June."

Earlier this week Parry said he expected an appointment to be made in the next fortnight.

And he claimed in the wake of Houllier's departure that if a candidate for the job had won trophies it would help their case.

Benitez, who bid a tearful farewell to Valencia, won the Spanish League title and the Uefa Cup last season.

JUNE 2
Benitez: I like my teams to be fast and aggressive

By Tim Hanlon - Daily Post

Rafael Benitez, say his detractors, employs ugly football tactics and his teams lack style.

But the man who quit Valencia yesterday has won two Primera Liga titles in the past three years, as well as the UEFA Cup.

There are no prizes for pretty football, as Real Madrid have found out to such expense in the past year.

The man who now looks set to become Liverpool's new manager has served his time in the lower echelons of the Spanish game, biding his time for the ideal opportunity.

Spells in charge of Extrema-dura, Real Valladolid and Osasuna were far from memorable, but since kick-starting his career in 2000 with Tenerife, Benitez has not looked back.

Perhaps it was his previous year's sabbatical, when he took 12 months out to focus on coaching methods in England and Italy, which provided the springboard to four years of almost non-stop success.

He led Tenerife to promotion from the Segunda Division and then was tempted away by Valencia in the summer of 2001, after the departure of Hector Cuper to Inter Milan.

Apart from the 2002-03 season, when Valencia slumped to fifth place in La Liga, Benitez's side have been consistently outstanding in domestic competition.

The 44-year-old Benitez's foot-ball philosophy has its roots in the coaching of the Italian Arrigo Sacchi, himself an advocate of the 4-4-2 system which was for years associated with English clubs before Sacchi's AC Milan team introduced it to Italy.

He is a man who demands almost total control at a club, and English football should suit him. Working under a sporting director was never Benitez's style.

Coming from a wealthy family, Benitez is well educated with a university degree and he speaks fluent English.

A modest football career saw him play for the Real Madrid youth side.

But as a coach Benitez achieved success with hard work and discipline and put a strong emphasis on statistics. He encouraged players to dress well and bond through eating together. He also gathered information on players, storing details of their performance and fitness levels.

It was following the tough experience of relegation with Extremadura that Benitez opted to travel around Europe to look at different approaches to the game.

"My ideas are near to the Milan of Arrigo Sacchi, I like technical and aggressive teams that don't allow the opponents to play," he said. "I like teams that play the ball with speed and look to score with as few passes as possible. My Valencia team is a mixture of youth and experience.

"The older players are examples for the younger players. The team works with great dedication and has quality while also the perfect mentality that allows them to succeed against any team without being arrogant. For me all the players are important."

Returning to coaching in 2000, Benitez was a revelation at Tenerife, helping them pip Atletico Madrid to promotion, and it came as little surprise that Valencia were soon courting him.

They won the league in Benitez's first year in charge, building on the solid foundations left by Cuper and adding a touch of attacking flair.

Over three years with the Mestalla club, Benitez has broken the hegemony of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain.

But if Liverpool is to be Benitez's next stop, he should be under no illusions about the challenge which awaits at Anfield.

For Benitez, it would be his greatest challenge.

JUNE 1
Tearful Benitez quits Valencia

The Guardian

Rafael Benitez today moved closer to the Liverpool manager's job after quitting as coach of Valencia.

Benitez broke down in tears as he confirmed his departure, having rejected Valencia's offer of a two-year extension to his contract, which was due to expire next year.

"This is possibly one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in my sporting life," Benitez said. "I am not going to continue.


Benitez breaks down after announcing his resignation

"I want to value as positive the efforts of the club to renew my contract, but the efforts the last season and the physical and psychological effects on me have made me consider my future."

Liverpool are the front-runners to appoint Benitez after their decision to part with Gerard Houllier, although Besiktas and Internazionale are also reportedly interested in the Spaniard.

The Spaniard led Valencia to their second Primera Liga title in three years this season, and also steered them to the Uefa Cup crown.

"We are going to analyse the future in the next few days to make the best possible decision, he added. "Personally I want to thank everyone, the players and the employees of the club, the media and especially the fans for their support."

Benitez was then overcome with emotion and left the press room in tears, unable to read the final lines of his statement.

The statement concluded: "I have two daughters, one is a Valencia fan, and Valencia will always be in my thoughts and in my heart."

Benitez may have been coy about his future destination, but the bookies have no doubts: they've closed the book on the Liverpool manager's job.

Thor Zakariassen ©