不过在安菲尔德球场，贝尼特斯也不是谁的账都买，至少英格兰中场杰梅尼-彭南特就难以入得西班牙人的法眼。彭南特与红军的现行合约将在本赛季结束后到期，目前利物浦并无与之续约的计划，即便夏天球员无人求购，贝帅也打算利用租借把其送出大门。作者: chienwei7 時間: 2009-5-24 11:40 AM
Rafa rejects terms of new Liverpool contract
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has rejected the terms of a new contract offer, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The Spaniard, who has been at the helm of the Anfield outfit since June2004, has been considering the deal proposed to him by club owners TomHicks and George Gillett and confirmed last week that an agreement hadbeen reached over the length of his contract and the salary.
However, the Spaniard insists he will only agree to the new deal ifgiven more control over football matters - rather than having to answerto club chief executive Rick Parry.
Benitez, who insists money is not an issue, has informed the Americanowners of his stand and said: "The owners feel that the manager'sdecisions need to be subject to the chief executive.
"But I know that I am subject to results and to our fans and they are the best judges I will ever have."
The news comes at a key stage in Liverpool's season, with the Reds toplay Merseyside rivals Everton in the Premier League on Monday, and theLiverpool manager confirmed he wants more control over the club'sacademy.
He is adamant too he should be the man responsible for transfers,providing he conducts his business within the restraints of the club'sbudget.
Benitez told the Liverpool Echo: ''This is solely about being allowedto manage Liverpool Football Club to the best of my abilities as I seethem.
''I believe that this club has the potential to improve - and I justwant to be able to help this to happen. I will continue to do my job asmanager and concentrate on the thing that our fans want me to focus on- winning trophies for them.
''From the first day I came to the club, I have only ever given 100% - and I will continue to do this.''
His refusal of the deal will inevitably dominate before Monday's derby,but Benitez intends to focus all his thoughts on the game and willstrive to ensure his players are not affected by his future.
He was keen to dismiss suggestions of a rift with the American owners,describing Hicks as ''very supportive'' and the contracts talks as''positive and friendly''.
That suggests this will not be the end of the matter, club and managernow in a position where they will seek to address each other's issueswith the terms of the tabled contract.
Liverpool have refused to comment on the speculation.作者: chienwei7 時間: 2009-5-24 11:41 AM
值得一提的是，贝尼特斯与利物浦仍未达成续约。一月中旬，贝尼特斯公开表示，他拒绝了俱乐部开出的新合同。西班牙人的想法很明确，他要求在转会预算如何分配上拥有绝对的话语权，他不希望首席执行官里克-帕里掺和进来。贝帅与红军高层僵持不下，这也让尤文看到了挖角的希望。作者: chienwei7 時間: 2009-5-24 11:44 AM
Liverpool Co-Owner George Gillet: It's Rafa Benitez's Fault
Liverpool's American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks haveendured a torrid time in the city of Liverpool this week as they havebeen on Merseyside for discussions concerning the future of thefootball club.
A protest at Anfield had involved a banner that read 'Thanks But NoYanks' during the weekend's game with Chelsea. Earlier in the day,members of supporters' pressure group 'The Spirit of Shankly' (SOS) hadconverged on the hotel where the Americans were staying and mounted anoisy protest.
Mr Gillett agreed to speak to SOS spokesman Jay McKenna, after a numberof fans had breached security to confront, peacefully, theColorado-born businessman.
McKenna informed The Liverpool Echo of the contents of the 'interview',which contained an interesting insinuation that Rafa Benitez wasresponsible for Liverpool losing their lead in the title race, hisant-Ferguson/Manchester United rant about 'facts' being blamed.
"I told him all the fans who were outside and thousands more were angryand upset at how he and Tom Hicks were running the club," the Echoreports McKenna as saying.
"He looked shocked and asked me why. I told him he knew why, because he met Spirit Of Shankly before the Manchester United game.
"I said ‘fans see it as you have made three promises and broken them’. So he asked me what they were."
McKenna reportedly then pointed out to Gillett that fans did not likethe fact that the club were now massively in debt due to the Americans'purchase of the club.
"He claimed this was at the ‘request of the banks’ and they were in a‘sound financial position’ with ‘revenue per pound or dollar in ratioto the debt’ better than at any other football club," McKenna said,before revealing the extent of Gillett's and Hicks's attempts to bringJurgen Klinsmann to Anfield.
"The second one was backing the manager and then not doing so. I saidthey said they would back the manager, so why had they approachedJurgen Klinsmann about the position of manager?" he continued.
"He then went on to claim they had met with the manager, who told themhe was to have discussions with ‘three other teams’ about joining themand they approached Klinsmann to have him in place to work as a‘consultant at the club’ if Benitez left them.
"I asked why they had approached Klinsmann, because his pedigree was not one that immediately made fans sit up and take note.
"He claimed Klinsmann had a brilliant track record, and he hadexcellent marketing talent, having close links with those at Adidas,Nike and Reebok and the benefits of him being at Liverpool.
"I asked who the three clubs were, but he refused to answer."
McKenna also enquired about the progress of the new stadium, anotherpromise on which SOS feel the Americans have failed to deliver. McKennawas assured that £100 million had been spent of Hicks' and Gillett'sown money, and work was ongoing with architects, designers and otherprofessionals to keep the stadium plans on track.
"I asked if the club’s accounts would show and support this when theyare released, and he said yes. Gillett then claimed all transfer feesto date had been met by himself and Tom," McKenna explained.
"He said when they bought the club, they were told about the ‘LiverpoolWay’. I asked if he felt they had been true custodians as theypromised. Gillett told me he ‘had tried, but it had been difficult’ andthey had ‘done what they could’.
"I asked why he could not speak for Hicks because he was his partner.He said that ‘husband and wife can say different things but one doesnot get the blame’.
"I explained they were both responsible, and he was not happy at beingblamed. I asked why he was in partnership with Hicks. He said Hicks andhimself had worked together well for six years in other businesses suchas food, but this is different because the media are involved.
McKenna also quizzed Gillett about whether the club was still for sale,and whether there had been any interest from potential buyers.
Gillett reportedly replied: "Yes, there have been expressions ofinterest and some negotiation." This repsonse triggered furtherquestions from a determined McKenna
"I asked who with, and he told me he could not tell me that. I askedwould he sell, and he admitted he was ‘open to it’, but he could notspeak for Hicks."
But McKenna reserved perhaps the most surprising insight until last,when he revealed that Gillett had implied that he held Rafa Benitezreponsible for the Reds' conceding of their league lead to ManchesterUnited.
"I then went to walk away," added McKenna, "and he came after mesaying, ‘A few weeks ago, we were in first position, then a certainindividual from the club attacked another individual from another club,and, since then, we have lost form and slid down the league.’
"I was stunned, and asked if he was blaming Benitez as a result, and in saying that, was he not backing the manager?
"Rather than confirm or deny as I expected, he replied ‘that’s your implication’."
If those words are true, as McKenna claims, then there does not seem much unity of purpose behind the scenes at Anfield.作者: chienwei7 時間: 2009-5-24 11:45 AM
