Liverpool FC Forum

by **Paul C** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:44 pm

From Daily Mail:

Liverpool boss Benitez tops Barcelona's wanted list

By MARK ALFORD

Last updated at 12:35pm on 26th March 2008

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is being banded around the Barcelona boardroom as a potential replacement for Frank Rijkaard.

Nou Camp president Joan Laporta chaired a board-level meeting yesterday to discuss a number of issues which the Catalan giants intend to address after the climax of the La Liga season this summer.

One of those issues is whether former Holland legend Rijkaard, 45, will depart for Chelsea - as is widely expected - and who will take the reins at Barca?

Benitez, who guided Valencia to two La Liga titles and a UEFA Cup triumph before taking Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2005, is top of Laporta's list, according to news leaked to Spanish newspapers.

The 47-year-old Anfield chief is favoured over other managers - namely Jose Mourinho - because of his proven track record in Spain and his ability to rotate a squad littered with star names.

There is a belief in the corridors of power at Barcelona that Rijkaard has failed to fully utilise his striking resources of Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi this season.

Barca lie second to reigning champions Real Madrid in the La Liga table by four points.

Benitez will find the lure of the Nou Camp hard to resist, given his run-ins with Liverpool's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks this season.

Whether Dubai International Capital can complete their proposed Anfield takeover in time to persuade Benitez that his future lies in Liverpool will take on increased significance following yesterday's meeting in Spain. Watch this space.

by **ivor_the_injun** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:17 pm

The day I start believing anything the Daily Mail print is the day I start eating my own sh*t.

by **Sabre** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:18 pm

I had breakfast reading Marca and AS this morning and both papers came with this.

Not a single quote, just speculation. The article said though that Mourinho still tops the wish list of Barcelona now that Cruyff is out of the Barcelona influence circle -- he publicly said months ago Mourinho is not the right man and he was very influencial there.

If the news the Daily mail have based their reports on, are Spanish papers, then they've brought the bit that it's catchy, because the article actually said it was a second option in case Mourinho fails.

Note that this kind of news happens every year, not to be taken seriously. If any relevant developments are published, I'll translate them for you. So far? nothing. All they say is that Rafa doesn't get along well with the americans, not exactly breaking news.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:22 pm

Benitez is apparently wanted by many clubs but until anything happens I don't believe any of it.

by **Emerald Red** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:24 am

He's ours and he is f*cking going nowhere.

by **Reg** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:09 am

All I know is where theres so much smoke, theres at least a little fire.

Thursday's 'Times'

Spanish clubs embark on Benítez watching brief Oliver Kay

Amid the uncertainty at Liverpool, Rafael Benítez has been sounded out by at least three clubs in Spain, who have expressed interest in tempting him back to La Liga at the end of the season. Barcelona are among the clubs who are monitoring the Spaniard’s situation, but it emerged last night that the Liverpool manager has also been made aware of potential interest from Valencia, his former club, and Atlético Madrid.

Benítez’s priority is to stay on Merseyside, where his family is settled and where he is making plans to strengthen the Liverpool squad for next season, but his employment prospects at Anfield remain unclear. Although his position is more secure than it was earlier in the season, when Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the club’s American owners, were preparing to sack him after a series of disagreements, little is clear at present, with Dubai International Capital, the private equity investment arm of the Dubai government, planning a wide-ranging review of all aspects of the club if, as expected, it succeeds with its £400 million takeover bid.

Having improved his relationship with Hicks while guiding Liverpool to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they face Arsenal, Benítez is hoping to stay on as manager, regardless of who owns the club next season, but other options exist. Manuel García Quillon, his agent, has been approached by people from or working on behalf of Valencia, Atlético and Barcelona. With doubts over the future of Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona hierarchy are discussing potential replacements, including Benítez, José Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, and Michael Laudrup, the Getafe coach.

Two of the Catalan club’s directors, Ferran Soriano and Marc Ingla, are understood to favour Mourinho, but Joan Laporta, the president, is eager to explore other options, among them Benítez. Sources in Spain indicate that Laporta has been persuaded by well-placed contacts that Benítez could be available and that an informal approach has been made to García Quillon with regard to sounding out the Liverpool manager.

If he stays at Anfield, Benítez will ask for considerable backing in the transfer market this summer as he looks to assemble a squad capable of challenging for the Barclays Premier League title. He and his staff are making inquiries about several players and are monitoring the form of others, including David Bentley, of Blackburn Rovers, who has been identified as a potential candidate for a role on the right-hand side of midfield.

Benítez has impressed upon the Liverpool board the need to make changes to the squad and is likely to offload several players. Harry Kewell will leave when his contract expires in June, but there will be other departures, with uncertainty over the futures of Xabi Alonso, who is attracting interest from clubs in Spain, and John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch, whose contracts run only until the end of next season.

As expected, Javier Mascherano, the Liverpool midfield player, was charged with improper conduct by the FA over his reaction to his red card in the team’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Mascherano has been given until 6pm today to respond, with the case to be heard by an FA regulatory commission a week tomorrow. He is suspended for the Merseyside derby against Everton on Sunday and is likely to face a further ban for continuing to argue with Steve Bennett, the referee, after he was shown the red card, but Liverpool are optimistic that he will be suspended for only one additional match, rather than two.

-George Gillett Jr, the Liverpool co-owner, has teamed up with the owner of the Montreal Impact, who play in North America’s second division, to bid for a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, Joey Saputo, the club’s president, said yesterday. “We are in discussions with Gillett Entertainment Group as well as with Major League Soccer to bring an MLS franchise to Montreal,” Saputo said. Reports suggest that they hope to call the team Montreal FC and begin playing in the 2009 season.

by **The_Rock** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:39 am

Well...... as long as no other club hires mourinho...

by **Toffeehater** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:25 am

its just a rumour nothing said abt benitez leaving

by **holylamb2006** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:25 am

I'll believe it wen i see it .....

U must check this out its quality its jose mourinho avram grant rafa benitez and jami rednap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E4UQzE02oc

by **ruskiy playmaker** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:20 am

I don't understand why Barca don't approach Pellegrini, he's a really good coach, his team Villareal play some really good football and they're six points behind Real. It's surprising that he hasn't moved to a big club yet.

by **The_Rock** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:23 am

ruskiy playmaker wrote:I don't understand why Barca don't approach Pellegrini, he's a really good coach, his team Villareal play some really good football and they're six points behind Real. It's surprising that he hasn't moved to a big club yet.

Becos rafa is way much better than pellegrini.

I won't hold it against rafa if he did move to barca...seriously. I am sure he would bring barcelona to the top of la liga....

Rafa will be awesome in a slower and more tactical la-liga ....

by **Fo Dne** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:57 am

I seriously doubt he'd go there, if he does then I won't really be bothered to be honest.

His signings since taking control of the club have been poor at best.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:47 am

ivor_the_injun wrote:The day I start believing anything the Daily Mail print is the day I start eating my own sh*t.

Is that chocolate on your lips?

by **NANNY RED** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:53 am

The_Rock wrote:.

I won't hold it against rafa if he did move to barca...seriously. I am sure he would bring barcelona to the top of la liga....

Rafa will be awesome in a slower and more tactical la-liga ....

Youd think all you christmases have come at once Rock if he went lad .

You wont hold it against him :laugh:

by **andy_g** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:01 am

Reg wrote:All I know is where theres so much smoke, theres at least a little fire.

oh, there's fire alright. benitez doesn't get along too well with the yanks and barca will need a new manager. did i say fire? more like a raging inferno more like.

quotes like 'benitez will be tempted' are just pure bullsh!t made up by the regular hacks that make a career from spouting bullocks. honestly, football journalism is probably the worst kind that exists. the tendency to hyperbole is out of control - a mid week fixture between two mid table teams is now described as a clash and the slightest opportunity to make 5 out of a pair of 2s is seized on with both hands by a hundred hacks at the same time.

it kinda p!sses me off to tell the truth...

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