Rick Parry left Liverpool after trying - and failing - to find a major mega-bucks buyer for the club.
The Kop chief executive had spent the past month in deep dialogue with a mystery Arab group who talked about a takeover but did not deliver.
Wheeler-dealer Parry hoped to put the package together and buy out American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who both want to sell the famous club if the price is right.
But when Parry's mission failed - because the new team did not come up with the cash - his time was up and his 12-year reign ended after a final meeting with Hicks. Parry's departure is NOT a triumph for manager Rafa Benitez, with top Kop sources revealing there is still a lot of doubt about whether the Spaniard will stay.
Benitez has come through a time when many informed insiders tipped him to go. He would definitely have been a casualty if Parry had brought in new backers.
But the failure to find the new buyer was the final straw for Parry, who had ironically brought in Hicks and Gillett when David Moores sold the club.
The disappointment was too much for the chief executive to take. It was also a blow to Gillett who told friends he was confident of a sale.
The identity of the Middle East group is known only to Parry and his closest associates. Parry is due to leave Anfield at the end of the season but club sources believe he will be gone sooner.
However, as Hicks and Gillett clearly want out, Liverpool are still in turmoil behind the scenes with massive question marks hanging over Benitez's future.
The Spaniard has been stalling on his new contract for various reasons. Parry's departure may seem like a boost for him in his bid to control transfer policy but that may not be the case. He will also want to see if the Americans can find a new buyer - but that will now be without Parry's help.
Benitez suffered a bad weekend as Liverpool sunk to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough just three days after their Champions League triumph at Real Madrid.
He said: "It's difficult to explain.
If before this game it was going to be difficult to win the League, then it is clearly now going to be even harder. The Champions League is the best option we have now. Before we play Real Madrid again, we have Sunderland and we must be ready for that game.
"This is a bad result. If you look at the first 30 minutes we were in control. Second would still be an achievement but we have to think about getting three points against Sunderland."
The Kop chief executive had spent the past month in deep dialogue with a mystery Arab group who talked about a takeover but did not deliver.
Wheeler-dealer Parry hoped to put the package together and buy out American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who both want to sell the famous club if the price is right.
But when Parry's mission failed - because the new team did not come up with the cash - his time was up and his 12-year reign ended after a final meeting with Hicks. Parry's departure is NOT a triumph for manager Rafa Benitez, with top Kop sources revealing there is still a lot of doubt about whether the Spaniard will stay.
Benitez has come through a time when many informed insiders tipped him to go. He would definitely have been a casualty if Parry had brought in new backers.
But the failure to find the new buyer was the final straw for Parry, who had ironically brought in Hicks and Gillett when David Moores sold the club.
The disappointment was too much for the chief executive to take. It was also a blow to Gillett who told friends he was confident of a sale.
The identity of the Middle East group is known only to Parry and his closest associates. Parry is due to leave Anfield at the end of the season but club sources believe he will be gone sooner.
However, as Hicks and Gillett clearly want out, Liverpool are still in turmoil behind the scenes with massive question marks hanging over Benitez's future.
The Spaniard has been stalling on his new contract for various reasons. Parry's departure may seem like a boost for him in his bid to control transfer policy but that may not be the case. He will also want to see if the Americans can find a new buyer - but that will now be without Parry's help.
Benitez suffered a bad weekend as Liverpool sunk to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough just three days after their Champions League triumph at Real Madrid.
He said: "It's difficult to explain.
If before this game it was going to be difficult to win the League, then it is clearly now going to be even harder. The Champions League is the best option we have now. Before we play Real Madrid again, we have Sunderland and we must be ready for that game.
"This is a bad result. If you look at the first 30 minutes we were in control. Second would still be an achievement but we have to think about getting three points against Sunderland."
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