Liverpool FC Will Wait To Sign Gareth Barry

Rafael Benitez is prepared to dig in and play a waiting game with Aston Villa in order to sign Gareth Barry.

Villa rejected a third Liverpool bid for their captain on Thursday, believed to be in the region of £15m but with manager Martin O’Neill admitting that the England international has his heart set on a move to Anfield, Benitez is in no rush to push through the move this weekend.

The Spaniard is away from the club until next week and although he realises that Liverpool must now make a fourth offer for Barry, he is willing to bide his time to capture the player he knows is craving Champions League football next term.

An irate O’Neill, who is unhappy with the way Liverpool have publicly conducted their attempts to pursue Barry, has broken down all direct contact with Benitez and is also at odds with their valuations of Peter Crouch and Scott Carson who are possible makeweights in the deal.

Although O’Neill has conceded that Barry’s desire for a move will now mean that his club football now lies away from Villa Park, he and owner Randy Lerner remain determined to get as large a fee as possible for their prize asset who they value at £20m.

Benitez is also willing to wait on Barry because any potential exit from Anfield for Xabi Alonso is not likely to be completed until after the European Championship finals.

Reports in Italy yesterday suggesting that Liverpool had agreed a £14.2m fee with Juventus for the Spanish international midfielder are wide of the mark.

Although Liverpool have had lengthy talks with the Serie A club, who are now believed to be eyeing Bayern Munich’s German international Bastian Schweinsteiger as a possible alternative, they have still yet to receive an official bid for Juventus for Alonso who they value at £16m.

Financial constraints at Anfield mean that Benitez will have to offload several players this summer to balance the books for big money purchases like Barry.

Torres Reacts To Chelsea Rumours

Fernando Torres insists that he is perfectly happy at Liverpool in the face of reports that Chelsea are putting together a mega-offer in the hopes of securing his services ahead of next season.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has made it abundantly clear that there is no way that Liverpool will sell their prized asset, while the player himself has proven to be very un-ronaldoesque in doing his best to nip the rumours in the bud.

”I have no intention of leaving,” the Spanish star insisted.

”We have to focus our energies to give the little step we need to get to the top teams.

”If we only improve the team a little, we are going to manage to do so.

”I want to say very clearly that I’m not on the market and it is my desire to continue at Liverpool.

”I am very happy at Liverpool and want to carry on.”

Torres broke all sorts of records during his debut season at Anfield, scoring 33 goals in all competitions following his ₤21million move from Atletico Madrid last summer.

Going into the Euro 2008, some had questioned whether the 24-year-old would be able to replicate his club form at international level, and questioned whether he and Valencia hitman Villa would mesh as a pairing.

But all doubters have already been served a healthy dose of humble pie after La Furia Roja’s stunning display in their Group D opener, the pair having dovetailed beautifully as Villa’s hat-trick led the tournament favourites to a 4-1 win over Russia.

Alonso Signs For Juventus On Monday

Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso is pratically a Juventus player and all that is missing is his signature which will arrive early next week according to Corriere Dello Sport.

Jean Claude Blanc met with Rafa Benitez on Friday and a deal was struck to bring the midfielder to the Stadio Olimpico.

Benitez will meet Bianconeri officials again either on Monday or Tuesday where the contracts will be signed, sealed and delivered. The player's agent Inanki Ibanez will also be present at the meeting to ensure that all runs smoothly.

Juve will be paying the Anfield Road club €17m which Liverpool will use to buy Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. Alonso has already reached an agreement with the Old Lady and he will sign a four year deal worth €3.5m per season as well as performance related bonuses.

The Spain international who is currently involved in Euro 2008 will undergo a medical in Turin after the tournament. It's a big hit for the Bianconeri who have, once again, convinced major players to come on board as they prepare to challenge for major honours both domestically and in Europe next season.

Bastian Scheweinsteiger's move from Bayern now looks highly unlikely after the capture of Alonso. The Bianconeri were on standby for the Bayern Munich midfielder in case the Alonso move failed.

Liverpool Must Sell To Buy Riera

Rafa Benítez is hoping to use the money the sale of Xabi Alonso to Juventus generates to bring in Albert Riera from Espanyol after the European Championships concludes.

The Liverpool boss knows that he will have to sell in order to finance a higher bid for the former Manchester City wideman, while saving the bulk of his transfer kitty for Gareth Barry, according to AS.

After having a €9.5m bid rejected recently, Benítez is determined to return with a €12m offer for Riera, which indications have already shown is likely to be accepted.

Espanyol are keen to off-load the player that they brought back to Spain from Bordeaux after his outburst against the club last month.

Riera voiced his frustration at having spent the majority of the second half of the season on the bench as the Blanc i Blau's quest for Europe fell apart.

Stating that he wanted to leave the club immediately, that wish was granted but only if a club were to meet Espanyol's evaluation because they too need the cash to bring in new faces.

Alonso is on the verge of a switch to Juve and the money raised will aid the Riera bid as well as freeing up a place in the midfield for Barry to arrive from Aston Villa.

Liverpool In For Balotelli?

Internazionale's young star Mario Balotelli has intimated that he may have no problems leaving the club, which appears to have put some top clubs on alert, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea linked with a move for the striker.

Balotelli, 17, is of Ghanaian heritage but was adopted by Italian parents. He is eager to represent the Azzurri once he turns 18 and is officially an Italian citizen, having already turned down the chance to play for Ghana.

Inter, however, he appears to have less loyalty towards. Recent quotes suggest that the powerful forward would have no problem leaving the club and that, as he has only been there for a couple of years, he has no special attachment to the Italian champions.

He enjoyed a fairly prominent breakthrough season, considering his age, scoring three goals in 11 starts.

The Times reports that Balotelli's signature is being fiercely contested for among three of England's big four. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be the clubs interest, with all possibly being in the market for a striker of his mould.

Red Letter Day For The Spirit Of Shankly

On Monday, the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) will celebrate six months in existence as the country's first ever football supporters union.

It has come a long way since the day it was formed on February 16 when around 1,000 Liverpool fans packed into the Olympia on West Derby Road ahead of the ill-fated FA Cup tie against Barnsley.

That rally was followed by a march to Anfield with all present united in their desire to see Liverpool Football Club rid of American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Despite the good turnout and the clear and vivid passion on display SOS was not without its critics and there was no shortage of Nay’sayers who wanted to know what a disparate group of fans from Liverpool and beyond could do to challenge the corporate might of a pair of American millionaires based thousands of miles away from the Olympia.

In truth, it remains a forbidding challenge and one which may never be achieved in a football world where money doesn't just talk, it shouts, screams and hollers.

That doesn't mean SOS hasn't made progress though. Far from it.

In those six short months it has established a fully operative committee comprising of a chair, vice-chair, treasurer, secretary, club liaison officer and fans liaison officer among others.

Meetings are held regularly and continue to be well attended and in the near future a city centre office will be opened to process the membership applications which continue to flood in on a daily basis and a fully operational website will also be set up.
Increasingly, the union is starting to resemble a fans co-operative with issues which concern supporters of all clubs being tackled in an age of spiralling ticket prices and related costs.

A fortnight ago, I was invited to attend their latest gathering to observe their work at first hand and found it to be as professional as any council meeting with a full agenda established at the very outset and reports and updates presented by the treasurer, secretary and chair.

There was no shortage of debate and nor should there be in a movement which was set up to represent the best interests of all Liverpool fans and not just a local clique of like minded individuals.

The debate was lively and well informed but never threatened to get out of hand and although there were occasions when agreeing to disagree was the best course of action resolutions were passed and conclusions were arrived at, much as they are in any board meeting.

The level of professionalism on show should not come as a surprise though as many of those involved come from the kind of background where such meetings take place on an almost daily basis and their experience is telling.

Equally importantly though, there are those who do not hail from a professional background and who are ready and willing to try and break through the traditional constraints which have left football fans at the mercy of profiteers for far too long.

After the recent experience of Athens and Istanbul, not to mention just about every other European trip Liverpool have been involved in, SOS are now looking at ways of making European and domestic travel more affordable to the average Reds fan.

Talks are ongoing with travel operators aimed at chartering flights for Champions League away games and a coach is likely to be laid on for the Reds forthcoming pre-season friendly against Rangers at Ibrox.

These initiatives are a small step in the right direction for a movement which has come an awfully long way in a very short time.

Should the progress they have made in their first six months be repeated in the next six then there is no telling as to how far SOS could go.

But as long as they continue to have the best interests of fans at heart then no-one should bet against them achieving their objectives, even if their avowed determination to rid their club of a pair of owners they have no time for does remain the tallest of tall orders.

Kuyt On Target As Dutch Destroy France

Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring as Holland continued their impressive start to Euro 2008 by defeating France 4-1 on Friday night. Kuyt headed home from a corner inside 20 minutes to give Marco Van Basten’s side the lead.

Holland, who defeated World Champions Italy 3-1 in their opening game, were impressive again with Kuyt replaced at half time allowing Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie to combine to make it 2-0.

Thierry Henry made it 2-1 with a deft flick from a cross but Holland restored their two goal lead within seconds of the re-start, Robben firing home from an obscure angle. The impressive Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder added a fourth in the final seconds to gauruntee they win the ‘group of death’.

The Dutch face Romania next Tuesday, who can go through to the quarter finals with a win, while France and Italy - the last World Cup Finalists - will hope the Romanians don’t get the win they need and will battle out it for the right to go through with Holland.

The other game on Friday saw Romania and Italy share the spoils, 1-1, although Adrian Mutu missed a penalty which would have the sent the World Champions home early.

Reina's Father Predicts More From Pepe

The father of Liverpool goalie José Reina says he's proud of his son's role as a Spanish back-up and insists the highly-rated shot-stopper is yet to peak.

Minguel Reina is, of course, following his son Pepe's goalkeeping career avidly, and thinks the much-admired 'keeper can do better yet.

The 25-year-old Anfield man picked up his third Premier League Golden Glove in succession last term and is currently with the hotly-tipped Spanish side as they gun for Euro 2008 glory.

The proud Spaniard and father is so excited about his country's strong start at the Austria and Switzerland showpiece that he isn't even sore about his son languishing on the bench behind first-choice Iker Casillas.

"Pepe is growing as a man and as a footballer before my very eyes," said Reina Sr. "But no way is he near his peak yet. There is so much more to come before he's either the finished product or as good as he can be.

"Watching my son train so hard for his country and playing with his little daughter at a time when Spain have just put in a tremendous performance to open the tournament is just great.

"Right now his role is fundamental. The substitutes have to train hard but also give total support to those who start. With affection, support and friendship coming towards the key players, Spain will see the benefit on the pitch. That's sure.

"This year I think we are at least going to the final and if we win so much the better."

Redknapp Still Wants Crouch At Pompey

If the price is right, says Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, he still wants to bring Peter Crouch back to Fratton Park.

Liverpool have pinned a £15 million price tag on England striker Peter Crouch - and although Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp would like the player, that valuation is considerrably higher than the South Coast club are prepared to pay.

Redknapp told The News: “We are looking, but it is not always easy to get in the people we are looking for.

“But we are moving along and something could happen soon. Crouchy is a brilliant lad and I do like him a great deal. I suppose if Peter Storrie was negotiating with Liverpool though, he wouldn't want me throwing figures around.

“We might feel Liverpool want a little too much for him even at £10million. We might want to pay a bit less, so it wouldn't be right for me to say a price.

“At the end of the day he still belongs to Liverpool.

“I doubt if they would want me talking about their players really. I've always said I like Peter, though.

“There might be a deal there. If there's not then we will move on.”

Redknapp also confirmed to the local paper that he will definitely not be pursuing an interest in Marseille's former Liverpool striker, Djibril Cisse.

Cisse's agent climed earlier this week that the player was keen on a move to Pompey, describing them as a club who matched his ambition.

But Redknapp has ended all speculation by declaring: “He is a good player and we have looked at him before. But he's not one that I'm concentrating on at the moment.”

Torres Denies Showing Any Disrespect To Aragones

Spain striker Fernando Torres has denied that he was angry with coach Luis Aragones for taking him off in the team's 4-1 win against Russia in their opening game at Euro 2008.

Torres walked past Aragones when he was replaced by Cesc Fabregas early in the second half of Tuesday's match and did not acknowledge the coach's outstretched hand.

"I was angry with myself and it isn't true that I refused to shake the coach's hand," Torres told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Friday.

"Luis was six metres away from me, we weren't that close and I would never show any disrespect to a coach.

"I know that I can't get angry for more than 30 seconds when I've got team mates next to me who didn't play (in the game) at all."

Aragones, who coached Torres when he was at Atletico Madrid, said earlier this week that he understood the striker's anger at being taken off but that he would not let the incident pass.

"The big advantage of having an ex-player as the coach is that he has experienced these things hundreds to times," said Torres.

"Luis showed me the rules of dressing room when I was 16 years old and the important thing is that what happens is left on the pitch."

Torres is almost certain to be in the starting line-up when Spain play Sweden in their second match in Group D on Saturday.

O'Neill Tells Liverpool To Increase Barry Offer

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is determined to get the right price for captain Gareth Barry after dismissing Liverpool's third bid for the England midfielder as 'just not acceptable'.

Villa yesterday rejected a revised offer for Barry from the Reds believed to be around the £15million mark.

Barry has told O'Neill he wants to join Liverpool in order to play Champions League football and boost his England prospects but the Villa boss insists his club will not be bullied into selling.

He said: 'Gareth and I had a little chat when he got back from holiday and he has said he fancies going to Liverpool.

'That's obviously a big setback to us, but the offer from Liverpool is just not acceptable.

'It's very frustrating. We finished sixth last year, he was a major part of that and he has been a splendid player for us for some considerable time.'

O'Neill accepts it is a fact of life star players will be targeted by big clubs and has vowed the club will continue their bid to break the stranglehold of the big four in next season's Premier League.

'If Man United are having a struggle keeping hold of Cristiano Ronaldo, I guess the rest of us have a bit of trouble,' he added. 'It's difficult [to break into the top four] but that's what you're in the game for. If it's without Gareth Barry, we'll still have a go.'

Barry must now wait to see if Liverpool return with yet another bid or whether Rafael Benitez opts to look elsewhere.

It is believed previous offers for the midfielder included a cash-plus-player deal and this could still be the key to landing Barry.

Liverpool keeper Scott Carson spent last season on loan at Villa and O'Neill is keen to make the move permanent. But while Benitez is willing to sell, the two again disagree over Carson's valuation.

Liverpool Target Aistair Mackintosh Leaves Eastlands

Manchester City last night confirmed the departure of highly-rated chief executive Alistair Mackintosh – who Tom Hicks has reportedly earmarked to replace Rick Parry at Liverpool.

The Liverpool co-owner has made no secret of his desire to fire Parry as chief executive, branding his reign a “disaster” in an explosive interview two months ago.

The Texan is in no position to wield such power at Anfield yet, however, due to the deadlock in his fight for power with fellow owner George Gillett.

However, Hicks is thought to have been impressed by Mackintosh’s role in City’s move from Maine Road to Eastlands – while being critical of Liverpool’s stalling plans to move to a new home in Stanley Park – and will be intrigued by yesterday’s developments.

The future of Mackintosh had been the subject of intense debate following the arrival of Garry Cook as new executive chairman.

It had been thought Mackintosh may stay on at Eastlands for a little while but having been left out of the negotiations which saw Mark Hughes installed as manager last week, it became clear he had no long-term future.

Mackintosh has been seen as a pragmatic chief executive, who helped stabilise City’s financial position, then helped bring former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the club.

“I would like to thank Alistair for his decade of service,” Cook said.

“He took us through a period of great change, particularly the move from Maine Road to our home here at the City of Manchester Stadium and goes with our best wishes for the future.”

However, the move is seen as an effective completion of his takeover by Thaksin, breaking the major management link from before his arrival 12 months ago.

Cook was a noticeable presence at Hughes’s unveiling last week, where he outlined his vision for City under Thaksin’s guidance.

As a former senior executive at Nike, Cook has well-placed contacts within the football industry which could yet bring Ronaldinho to Eastlands.

Meanwhile, the home tie of City’s UEFA Cup first qualifying round tie in July seems certain to be held at Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium as Eastlands is unavailable.

Hughes will learn City’s opponents on June 27.

Martin O'Neil Refuses To Talk To Rafael Benitez Over Barry Row

Martin O'Neill has angrily broken off all contact with Liverpool after becoming infuriated by their dogged pursuit of Aston Villa skipper Gareth Barry.

The Villa boss is refusing to acknowledge attempts by Reds manager Rafa Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry to enter into any dialogue over Barry.

Liverpool only learned their third bid of £13m for the midfielder had been rejected yesterday through a curt fax.

O'Neill, usually so hands-on, has instructed Villa owner Randy Lerner's PA Paul Faulkner to field all communications from Anfield.

His stubborn tactics have left Liverpool officials exasperated as they hoped to finally buy Barry, 27, this week. And the star himself is getting increasingly despondent at the failure of the two clubs to resolve his future after he made it clear to O'Neill he wanted to go.

Liverpool are now reluctant to table a new bid for Barry while they have no insight into what O'Neill will accept for the versatile left-sided player.

And the ill-feeling at Villa - sparked by Benitez making public Liverpool's initial £10m offer for Barry on the eve of the penultimate game of the season - has only increased.

O'Neill has since slammed the Reds' Spanish manager in a tirade and even dropped Villa's former Liverpool midfielder Patrik Berger for recommending that Barry moves to his old club.

O'Neill is now trying to concentrate his energies on strengthening his squad as they kick-off their InterToto Cup campaign in five weeks.

Brazilian midfielder Paulo Assuncao, 28, who has bought out the final year of his contract at Porto, is a target.

Degen's Switzerland Out Of Euro 2008

Philipp Degen was an unused substitute as host nation Switzerland crashed out of Euro 2008 after an injury time goal gave Turkey a 2-1 victory.

Degen - who will sign for Liverpool on July 1 - was on the bench for the second game running as Turkey came from a goal down to win.

The result means Switzerland cannot now qualify for the knock-out phase.

A heavy downpour in the first half contributed to Switzerland's opening goal which was scored by Hakan Yakin.

However, Turkey equalised in the second half when substitute Semih Senturk headed home.

The Swiss came close to winning the game near the end but Turkey keeper Volkan Demirel made a fantastic double save.

Then deep into stoppage time Arda Turan won it for Fatih Terim's side after a swift counter attack.

Degen will be hoping to make his tournament debut on Sunday night when the Swiss face Portugal in their final group game at 7.45pm GMT.

Rafa Wants Spanish Villa With Pool

Rafael Benitez reportedly wants to pair David Villa with Fernando Torres in Liverpool's attack - but has been warned he won't come cheap.

Villa combined with Torres to devastating effect with a hat-trick in Spain's 4-1 demolition of Russia in their opening Euro 2008 fixture on Tuesday.

And Reds boss Benitez is keen to see the pair wreak similar havoc on Premier League defences next season.

Torres took to England's top flight like a fish to water after moving from Atletico Madrid for £27million last summer - and Valencia director Juan Sanchez admits Villa's price tag will rise with every goal he scores at Euro 2008.

Villa looks destined to leave Los Che this summer, as the Primera Liga side's financial worries dictate that they will be required to reluctantly part with their biggest assets.

Villa certainly tops the list in the Mestalla sale and new Valencia boss Unai Emery can expect a busy close season as he sets about reshuffling his pack.

His star striker is valued in the region of around £17million, but that figure could rocket if he continues his electric form in Austria and Switzerland.

Villa's current employers are prepared to sit out a bidding war, with Sanchez revealing that the club will bide their time before deciding on the player's worth.

"He has a contract and is having a great Euro," the Spanish director said in The Sun. "We are calm and we hope he will continue to score many goals. You never know what will happen if we get offers.

"It's not a question of putting a price on him.

"What will come in the future will be assessed then."

Chelsea and Barcelona have also been linked with Villa, but it remains to be seen whether the Blues' interest will continue following the announcement that Luiz Felipe Scolari is set to become their new boss.

However, despite the growing speculation surrounding his future, the talented forward is refusing to be drawn on the issue until after Euro 2008.

"I'm not going to speak about my future until after the Championships," he insisted.

Roma Ready To Bid £3m For Liverpool's John Arne Riise

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti admitted last night he wants to take Liverpool misfit John Arne Riise, 27, to Serie A.

Norwegian left-back Riise's Anfield career is over after his catastrophic Champions League semifinal blunder against Chelsea and the arrival of Udinese's Andrea Dossena.

And Spalletti is ready to table a £3million bid for the 27-year-old.

Spalletti said: "A player like Riise can give a different kind of dimension. Considering the challenges that await us next season, he has the qualities that we are looking for."

Juventus Enhance Alonso Offer

Juventus have increased their bid for Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso as they attempt to lure the midfielder to Turin.

The Bianconeri are keen on the Spanish international and recently Giovanni Cobolli Gigli confirmed the club are in on-going talks with the Reds for the midfielder.

However, so far talks have hit a brick wall as Liverpool are not willing to budge on the £15m price tag.

According to reports in Italy, Juve only wanted to offer half of what Liverpool were asking for but now it seems as if the Old Lady has upped the ante as she attempts to prize Alonso away from Anfield.

Stadio News 24 claims the Old Lady has offered Liverpool €18m (£14.2m) which is still slightly off the £15m that the Reds are asking for.

However, it is likely that the Merseysiders will accept this latest offer as the Bianconeri are not looking to move any further up on their latest bid.

Claudio Ranieri is a big admirer of the Spanish player and he will be hoping to add him to his midfield department to partner Momo Sissoko.

Juve have returned to the Champions League and they are currently building a side for the future capable of challenging for major honours.

The Old Lady believes it would be a shame if Juve lose out on Alonso having come so close this time and she is trying her best to capture the player before other clubs beging swooping.

Liverpool Prepare £15m Barry Offer

Liverpool are putting together a £15 million cash bid for Gareth Barry in the hopes of finalising the deal for the Aston Villa captain by the end of the work week.

Villa have reportedly already rebuffed a number of of bids over the past days, including a ₤12million bid and a host of offers involving part player-swaps. This despite the it being clear that Barry, 27, is itntent on moving to Liverpool for Champions League football after 10 years at Villa Park.

The latest official statement from the Claret-and-Blues on the matter read as follow:

"Gareth Barry has stated in discussions with our manager he would like to leave Aston Villa to join Liverpool.

"But Liverpool's bid for the player has been rejected and they have been informed of Villa's continued position in this matter."

It will be interesting to see whether £15m will do the trick this time, as Villa boss Martin O'Neill has always maintained that Barry is worth at least as much as Argentine midfielderl Javier Mascherano who officially made the Liverpool switch in January for £18m.

Milner-Pennant Swap In The Works?

According to the latest reports emanating out of England, Newcastle are strongly considering accepting a swap deal put forward by Liverpool that would see James Milner leave St. James' Park in exchange for Jermaine Pennant.

British daily The Mirror alleges that Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has made a significant breakthrough in his quest to lure Milner, 27, to Anfield, and now all that stands between the completion of the deal is to wrangle over how much cash will be included along with Pennant.

Should the reports be validated, it would represent a dramatic improvement on the Reds' opening offer as Newcastle were said to be downright insulted by Liverpool's proposal of switching Argentine full-back Emiliano Insua, central defender Jack Hobbs and one other youth prospect in exchange for Milner.

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill was livid when Benitez attempted to capture Gareth Barry with a similar deal, though he won't be best pleased to learn of this news either as Villa were reportedly keen on £7million-rated Milner as well.

Spain Coach Luis Aragones Denies Euro 2008 Rift With Bemused Fernando Torres

SPAIN coach Luis Aragones has dismissed speculation his decision to substitute Fernando Torres during the 4-1 Euro 2008 victory against Russia has caused a rift with his star striker.

Aragones chose to withdraw the Liverpool frontman after just 54 minutes on Tuesday, replacing him with midfielder Cesc Fabregas, with his team already holding a 2-0 advantage.

The 69-year-old coach later explained his reason for substituting Torres was a tactical one as he sought to add "one more player in the midfield to try to keep a clean sheet."

Torres, however, was clearly bemused by the decision as he left the pitch, opting not to acknowledge Aragones’s outstretched arm as he passed the coach.

Despite that show of petulance, Aragones said there was no ill-felling between himself and the player with the pair resolving the matter in the dressing-room after the game.

"I understand why the player is angry and I am behind him, but it is important to correct these things afterwards," Aragones said.

"They are things which stay in the dressing-room...(but) things won’t stay like that, we won’t let things like that fester."

Torres was instrumental in Spain’s opening goal of the night when he unselfishly laid off a pass to strike partner David Villa to tap home into an unguarded net.

That would be the first goal of a hat-trick for Villa whose impressive display stole the limelight from Torres, who was expected to spearhead the Spanish attack.

After scoring his third goal of the night, Villa raced to the bench where he embraced the already- substituted Torres and Aragones said that gesture was reflective of the "cohesion" in the team.

"I understand that a player gets angry when he is substituted, it has happened to me, but the atmosphere in the team is extraordinary," Aragones said.

Aragones also took time to praise Torres for his contribution while he was on the pitch, highlighting his defensive work to limit the contribution of Russia’s attack- minded full-back Roman Shirokov.

"Torres also contributed and worked up front to block Shirokov and he did it perfectly," Aragones said.

"The goals are a product of Villa, but the first (goal) was given to him by Torres."

Former Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho was also glowing in his praise for Torres, pointing the striker’s assist for the first goal as evidence of his importance to the team.

"Torres’s generosity in the first goal was admirable," he said.

"When you are a striker, it’s not easy to see a team-mate when you are bearing down on the goalkeeper, but he had the presence of mind to give the ball to Villa. That was a great gesture."

Camacho, who led Spain to the quarter-finals of Euro 2000, was delighted with the performance of Aragones’ side.

"It was a great start," he said. "They have demonstrated that they are here at the European Championship with an attacking football, with a passing game and creating plenty of chances.

"(Carles) Puyol, (Marcos) Senna and Villa stood out in a team at a very high level," he added.

Camacho also praised Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta.

"Iniesta can do everything with the ball at his feet," he said.

"Only players with something different in their head and in their feet are capable of passes like the one for the second goal."

However, Torres admitted: "At the time I wasn’t happy but the disappointment soon went. The team is the important thing."

Meanwhile, hat-trick hero David Villa paid tribute to strike partner Torres.

Immediately after slotting the ball past Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev to complete his treble 15 minutes from time, Villa raced to the Spain bench to embrace Torres, who had been substituted in the 54th minute and replaced by Cesc Fabregas.

That was the third Spain match in just over a week where Torres has been taken off early, with coach Luis Aragones substituting the Liverpool striker at half-time in both friendly matches against the United States and Peru.

Torres has now failed to score in each of those three matches – albeit whilst not always at peak fitness – and although he has been prolific during his first season at Liverpool, he has notched just once for his country since 2006.

All that has led to speculation about the striker’s ability to perform for Spain the way he does for Liverpool, but Villa was keen to show Torres he is fully behind the former Atletico Madrid man.

"The first two goals were with the help of Torres," said Villa.

"You saw what happened with the first one and with the second he opened the space so (Andres) Iniesta could make the pass to me," Villa added.

"I think he had a very important game, he’s a key player to us and I wanted to dedicate that third goal to make him happy."

Villa’s treble, with the goals coming in the 20th, 45th and 75th minutes, ensured Spain got off to a flying start in their bid to win their first European Championships since 1964.

The performance earned Villa the man-of-the-match award, but the Valencia man was more pleased with the fact that it took Spain a step closer to the quarter-finals.

"More than anything I am happy with the three points that give us a lot of options to continue to the next phase, and of course I am very happy to have scored the goals as well," said Villa, whose role in the Spain side and compatibility with Torres was an area of debate heading into the tournament.

"My aim is continue helping the national team, to work hard to try and score more goals.

"I want to play as much as possible."

Spain coach Aragones spoke glowingly about both his strikers, saying: "Villa has played very well, he scored three goals and could have scored more.

"Torres also did a good job, especially in the first two goals. I am happy with the team."

Russia coach Guus Hiddink famously got one over on the Spanish in the 2002 World Cup when his South Korea side won a quarter-final showdown on penalties.

There was little chance of Hiddink’s latest side achieving a similar scalp once Villa had taken the game by the scruff of the neck, but the Dutchman believes his inexperienced team could take a lot of out of the game.

"We had our chances, but we were too naive and ended up being punished because Spain have players who can to that," Hiddink said.

"In any case, I think that we can learn from this lesson. There are two games remaining and I have told my players that although it has been a heavy result, we can still bounce back if we learn from the match.