Rafael Benítez has made an impassioned plea to Liverpool's American owners to allow him to continue as manager, despite their reservations about the team's progress. George Gillett and Tom Hicks were having talks last night with the chief executive Rick Parry amid growing speculation that Benítez does not figure in their plans beyond the end of the season, but the man who brought the European Cup back to Anfield insists he wants to stay.
"I don't know how many times I have to say this before certain people believe me," said an exasperated Benítez. "But I will say it again because it is really important that everyone understands this - I love the club, I love the fans, I love the city and I am very, very happy here. I do not see my future at Real Madrid or Inter Milan or anywhere else. I see my future at Liverpool and this is where I want to stay."
Benítez could hardly have been more unequivocal as he waited to hear the outcome of Parry's discussions with Gillett and Hicks in the United States. The official line from Anfield was that Benítez's future was not on the agenda, but the Spaniard is entitled to be worried given his precarious relationship with the Americans and reports that Jürgen Klinsmann is to be sounded out about replacing him.
It has not helped Benítez that an off-the-record conversation with a number of Sunday newspaper journalists led to reports at the weekend that he feared he could be sacked. "I was shocked when I was told about the stories in the Sunday papers," he said. "To see my name linked with other clubs in such a manner really disappoints me. And the fact that the newspapers said that the stories had come from 'a source close to me' is what disappoints me most.
"All I can say is, no such quotes came from me and I know my friends well enough to know that they did not come from them. So I can only assume that the conversation I had with the journalists from the Sunday newspapers meant something different to them than me."
Benítez has completed the £6.5m signing of the centre-back Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg and turned down an inquiry from Fulham for Sami Hyypia, "The squad is the best it has been since I first came here and we have many young players who are going to get only better," he said, "so I have no wish to be at any other club. I want to be here this summer and many other summers after that."
"I don't know how many times I have to say this before certain people believe me," said an exasperated Benítez. "But I will say it again because it is really important that everyone understands this - I love the club, I love the fans, I love the city and I am very, very happy here. I do not see my future at Real Madrid or Inter Milan or anywhere else. I see my future at Liverpool and this is where I want to stay."
Benítez could hardly have been more unequivocal as he waited to hear the outcome of Parry's discussions with Gillett and Hicks in the United States. The official line from Anfield was that Benítez's future was not on the agenda, but the Spaniard is entitled to be worried given his precarious relationship with the Americans and reports that Jürgen Klinsmann is to be sounded out about replacing him.
It has not helped Benítez that an off-the-record conversation with a number of Sunday newspaper journalists led to reports at the weekend that he feared he could be sacked. "I was shocked when I was told about the stories in the Sunday papers," he said. "To see my name linked with other clubs in such a manner really disappoints me. And the fact that the newspapers said that the stories had come from 'a source close to me' is what disappoints me most.
"All I can say is, no such quotes came from me and I know my friends well enough to know that they did not come from them. So I can only assume that the conversation I had with the journalists from the Sunday newspapers meant something different to them than me."
Benítez has completed the £6.5m signing of the centre-back Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersburg and turned down an inquiry from Fulham for Sami Hyypia, "The squad is the best it has been since I first came here and we have many young players who are going to get only better," he said, "so I have no wish to be at any other club. I want to be here this summer and many other summers after that."
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