Rafa Benitez - Coach - Pool (48 Viewers)
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Liverpool won't block Benitez move Wednesday 28 April, 2010
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La Gazzetta dello Sport understands that Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton will not stand in the way of Rafael Benitez joining Juventus this summer.
Benitez still has four years to run on his existing deal and extricating him from that contract is regarded as the biggest obstacle stopping him from joining Juventus.
However, La Gazzetta dello Sport understands that while Benitez will not ask to rescind his contract, Broughton will also not stand in his way should he want to leave.
Broughton has allegedly found a Chinese investor for Liverpool called Kenneth Huang, but nothing is set in stone and he can't offer Benitez any guarantees.
Despite yesterday's denials from Benitez's agent, La Gazzetta believes that a deal is very close with Rafa accepting to take a pay cut in Turin.
The former Valencia tactician will be offered a four-year contract worth €3.5m per annum, excluding bonuses such as one in the region of €500,000 if he get Juventus into the Champions League.
Benitez's only concern regards his staff, all of whom will almost certainly not follow him to Juventus.
Rafa is apparently keen to protect them in this delicate phase of his career.
His decision will also determine whether Juventus hire Beppe Marotta or Amedeo Carboni as their next director of sport.
La Gazzetta understands that while there are a few details still separating the two parties, an announcement could come earlier than May 12 should Liverpool not qualify for the Europa League Final.
FI
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La Gazzetta dello Sport understands that Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton will not stand in the way of Rafael Benitez joining Juventus this summer.
Benitez still has four years to run on his existing deal and extricating him from that contract is regarded as the biggest obstacle stopping him from joining Juventus.
However, La Gazzetta dello Sport understands that while Benitez will not ask to rescind his contract, Broughton will also not stand in his way should he want to leave.
Broughton has allegedly found a Chinese investor for Liverpool called Kenneth Huang, but nothing is set in stone and he can't offer Benitez any guarantees.
Despite yesterday's denials from Benitez's agent, La Gazzetta believes that a deal is very close with Rafa accepting to take a pay cut in Turin.
The former Valencia tactician will be offered a four-year contract worth €3.5m per annum, excluding bonuses such as one in the region of €500,000 if he get Juventus into the Champions League.
Benitez's only concern regards his staff, all of whom will almost certainly not follow him to Juventus.
Rafa is apparently keen to protect them in this delicate phase of his career.
His decision will also determine whether Juventus hire Beppe Marotta or Amedeo Carboni as their next director of sport.
La Gazzetta understands that while there are a few details still separating the two parties, an announcement could come earlier than May 12 should Liverpool not qualify for the Europa League Final.
FI
Calcio Debate: Why Rafa Benitez Should Think Twice Before Swapping The Liverpool Frying Pan For The Juventus Fire
Internal politics, disillusioned fans and out of Europe's top tier - sound familiar?
Decisions, decisions. Having spent most of this season defending his, Rafael Benítez now faces perhaps the toughest of his career, with Italian giants Juventus pulling out all the stops to lure the Spaniard away from Liverpool.
Reports suggest that representatives of the Serie A side are prepared to offer a £16 million, four-year contract to the former Valencia boss - and a £50 million transfer budget for starters.
Yet whilst few could criticise Benitez should he choose to end his six-year reign on Merseyside after more off-the-pitch turmoil - especially if Liverpool finish the season with a Europa League trophy on the sideboard - questions must surely be asked about whether a move to Juventus would simply be a case of jumping from frying pan to fire. Goal.com UK examines the issues surrounding Benitez's tricky decision...
The Football Side
It is an absurdity of the modern game that football issues almost take a back-seat in a decision such as this, but if Benitez cares to peruse the Serie A table, he may find it slightly off-putting. Juventus currently lie sixth, a full six points short of the fourth-place which would qualify them for the Champions League. Like Liverpool, this giant of a club's standards have slipped of late, and they face a season in the austerity of the Europa League.
They have a smattering of class - Brazilian ace Diego, and Italian stars Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon especially - but the squad is seen by many as imbalanced and in need of fresh faces. Perhaps even more so than Benitez's current Liverpool side.
Fans
It has become a source of bemusement for most outside of Liverpool that Benitez can retain such a strong bond with his club's supporters, even in light of a season which could yet see the Reds finish in their lowest position since 1999. At each home game, the Kop chant Benitez's name and wave banners proclaiming their support, and the Spaniard is quick to return the affection. Whether he would get it elsewhere is unlikely.
Carlo Garganese, Goal.com's Serie A expert, believes Juventus' supporters are currently more concerned with other issues but says that Benitez's job would be to get results, in any way possible.
"Juventus fans expect to win, style is not important like it is at Real Madrid or Barcelona," he says. "If Benitez gets the results that will be enough."
Still, the sight of fans pelting their own team bus with eggs, as well as verbally and physically attacking defender Jonathan Zebina as the side departed for a league game with Atalanta last month, should trigger alarm bells. Juventus' campaign has been fraught with inconsistency and underachievement, but no more so than Liverpool's.
Transfer Policy
Despite being granted full control of transfers at Liverpool, albeit after a bitter power struggle with former chief executive Rick Parry, Benitez has recently found his options limited, his spending curbed, and has made no secret of his annoyance - indeed, it was due to similar issues that he left Valencia back in 2004
Juventus operate slightly differently from Liverpool, according to Garganese. The responsibility for transfers is shared between manager and board. This policy has been the subject of fierce criticism from Bianconeri supporters in recent years, with big-money flops such as Felipe Melo indicative of the club's slide from title contenders to Europa League hopefuls.
"In Italy, traditionally it is a sporting director or transfer guru (or even president) who deals with buying the players," says Garganese. "A coach's job is to coach the players given to him.
"Having said that, this has been relaxed by some clubs over the past decade or so and I expect that Benitez will have significant input. Especially if the current transfer chief - Alessio Secco, who has been an absolute disaster and is regarded by most supporters as incompetent - stays in his job.
"There is strong talk that Sampdoria's Giuseppe Marotta will take over Secco's role for next season. If this happens, then expect Benitez and Marotta to work together, providing the Spaniard accepts the job and is fine with this arrangement."
Boardroom Politics
From publicly lining up Jurgen Klinsmann as a replacement for the Spaniard, to the pair's fractious relationship - which has made decision-making within the club a laborious and restrictive process - Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have constantly managed to undermine Benitez with a series of baffling decisions and PR-gaffes.
At Juventus, the situation is not much clearer, as Garganese explains:
"The big potential problem for Benitez is that Juventus as a club are in civil war. The fans absolutely detest the current leadership of John Elkann, Jean-Claude Blanc, and Alessio Secco, and have made it absolutely clear they want them out.
"The main reason for the hatred revolves around Calciopoli. The current leadership never defended the club back in 2006 and complied with the punishments that were dished out.
"As the Calciopoli trial has exploded once again, with suggestions of mass evidence tampering and other clubs such as Inter implicated, Juventus fans are at their angriest. They have demanded that either the leadership defends the club now and gets "Calciopoli justice", or that they leave.
"If they do neither, some fans have even threatened to boycott the club, which really would harm Juventus financially."
Despite this, Garganese is confident that funds would be afforded for Benitez to spend this summer - something Liverpool, with the club up for sale and prospective owners remaining tight-lipped, are simply unable to guarantee.
"Juventus' financial situation is very healthy, and there will still be significant money to spend this summer," he says, "Even if the club fails to qualify for the Champions League. A new stadium is on the way, and the club can rely on a huge fanbase around the world."
And Gareth Roberts, lifelong Liverpool supporter and editor of the popular Well Red fanzine, believes this kind of financial backing may be enough to persuade Benitez to swap the insecurity of Merseyside for Turin.
"I think Rafa may well be tempted to go to Juventus," he says, "He is working with handcuffs on at Liverpool. He raised the bar by winning the European Cup and coming so close to the title last season, yet still the finances which recent title winners like Chelsea have enjoyed haven't arrived.
"I wouldn't blame him if he decides to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. Most Liverpool fans are sick of the boardroom pantomime at Anfield, and now maybe Rafa is, too."
Goal
Internal politics, disillusioned fans and out of Europe's top tier - sound familiar?
Decisions, decisions. Having spent most of this season defending his, Rafael Benítez now faces perhaps the toughest of his career, with Italian giants Juventus pulling out all the stops to lure the Spaniard away from Liverpool.
Reports suggest that representatives of the Serie A side are prepared to offer a £16 million, four-year contract to the former Valencia boss - and a £50 million transfer budget for starters.
Yet whilst few could criticise Benitez should he choose to end his six-year reign on Merseyside after more off-the-pitch turmoil - especially if Liverpool finish the season with a Europa League trophy on the sideboard - questions must surely be asked about whether a move to Juventus would simply be a case of jumping from frying pan to fire. Goal.com UK examines the issues surrounding Benitez's tricky decision...
The Football Side
It is an absurdity of the modern game that football issues almost take a back-seat in a decision such as this, but if Benitez cares to peruse the Serie A table, he may find it slightly off-putting. Juventus currently lie sixth, a full six points short of the fourth-place which would qualify them for the Champions League. Like Liverpool, this giant of a club's standards have slipped of late, and they face a season in the austerity of the Europa League.
They have a smattering of class - Brazilian ace Diego, and Italian stars Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon especially - but the squad is seen by many as imbalanced and in need of fresh faces. Perhaps even more so than Benitez's current Liverpool side.
Fans
It has become a source of bemusement for most outside of Liverpool that Benitez can retain such a strong bond with his club's supporters, even in light of a season which could yet see the Reds finish in their lowest position since 1999. At each home game, the Kop chant Benitez's name and wave banners proclaiming their support, and the Spaniard is quick to return the affection. Whether he would get it elsewhere is unlikely.
Carlo Garganese, Goal.com's Serie A expert, believes Juventus' supporters are currently more concerned with other issues but says that Benitez's job would be to get results, in any way possible.
"Juventus fans expect to win, style is not important like it is at Real Madrid or Barcelona," he says. "If Benitez gets the results that will be enough."
Still, the sight of fans pelting their own team bus with eggs, as well as verbally and physically attacking defender Jonathan Zebina as the side departed for a league game with Atalanta last month, should trigger alarm bells. Juventus' campaign has been fraught with inconsistency and underachievement, but no more so than Liverpool's.
Transfer Policy
Despite being granted full control of transfers at Liverpool, albeit after a bitter power struggle with former chief executive Rick Parry, Benitez has recently found his options limited, his spending curbed, and has made no secret of his annoyance - indeed, it was due to similar issues that he left Valencia back in 2004
Juventus operate slightly differently from Liverpool, according to Garganese. The responsibility for transfers is shared between manager and board. This policy has been the subject of fierce criticism from Bianconeri supporters in recent years, with big-money flops such as Felipe Melo indicative of the club's slide from title contenders to Europa League hopefuls.
"In Italy, traditionally it is a sporting director or transfer guru (or even president) who deals with buying the players," says Garganese. "A coach's job is to coach the players given to him.
"Having said that, this has been relaxed by some clubs over the past decade or so and I expect that Benitez will have significant input. Especially if the current transfer chief - Alessio Secco, who has been an absolute disaster and is regarded by most supporters as incompetent - stays in his job.
"There is strong talk that Sampdoria's Giuseppe Marotta will take over Secco's role for next season. If this happens, then expect Benitez and Marotta to work together, providing the Spaniard accepts the job and is fine with this arrangement."
Boardroom Politics
From publicly lining up Jurgen Klinsmann as a replacement for the Spaniard, to the pair's fractious relationship - which has made decision-making within the club a laborious and restrictive process - Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have constantly managed to undermine Benitez with a series of baffling decisions and PR-gaffes.
At Juventus, the situation is not much clearer, as Garganese explains:
"The big potential problem for Benitez is that Juventus as a club are in civil war. The fans absolutely detest the current leadership of John Elkann, Jean-Claude Blanc, and Alessio Secco, and have made it absolutely clear they want them out.
"The main reason for the hatred revolves around Calciopoli. The current leadership never defended the club back in 2006 and complied with the punishments that were dished out.
"As the Calciopoli trial has exploded once again, with suggestions of mass evidence tampering and other clubs such as Inter implicated, Juventus fans are at their angriest. They have demanded that either the leadership defends the club now and gets "Calciopoli justice", or that they leave.
"If they do neither, some fans have even threatened to boycott the club, which really would harm Juventus financially."
Despite this, Garganese is confident that funds would be afforded for Benitez to spend this summer - something Liverpool, with the club up for sale and prospective owners remaining tight-lipped, are simply unable to guarantee.
"Juventus' financial situation is very healthy, and there will still be significant money to spend this summer," he says, "Even if the club fails to qualify for the Champions League. A new stadium is on the way, and the club can rely on a huge fanbase around the world."
And Gareth Roberts, lifelong Liverpool supporter and editor of the popular Well Red fanzine, believes this kind of financial backing may be enough to persuade Benitez to swap the insecurity of Merseyside for Turin.
"I think Rafa may well be tempted to go to Juventus," he says, "He is working with handcuffs on at Liverpool. He raised the bar by winning the European Cup and coming so close to the title last season, yet still the finances which recent title winners like Chelsea have enjoyed haven't arrived.
"I wouldn't blame him if he decides to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. Most Liverpool fans are sick of the boardroom pantomime at Anfield, and now maybe Rafa is, too."
Goal
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ee-to-pursue-potential-juve-move-1956009.html
Just another article suggesting Liverpool won't make life difficult if Benitez wants to go.
Just another article suggesting Liverpool won't make life difficult if Benitez wants to go.
Could be, but I think it is more likely that he wants to wait until their Euro League pariticipation is over. It would not be wise to announce anything other than status quo before such important matches. On a practical level he not does have time to negotiate in between these games, even though his agent does the most work.
He off course also wanted/wants to see whether Juve would get CL.
I look forward to a new coach, and I i'm decently happy with Benitez. I just hope our weak board does give him to much freedom and power. For once I think this is a clear step in the right direction.
With regards to the subbing of Torres. It is clear that the players were not agreeing. But I would like to add two things here. Liverpool were actually much better after the sub(torres was tired, just returned from injury) and he is a coach that has the guts to do what he feels right, regardless of others opinions.
He off course also wanted/wants to see whether Juve would get CL.
I look forward to a new coach, and I i'm decently happy with Benitez. I just hope our weak board does give him to much freedom and power. For once I think this is a clear step in the right direction.
With regards to the subbing of Torres. It is clear that the players were not agreeing. But I would like to add two things here. Liverpool were actually much better after the sub(torres was tired, just returned from injury) and he is a coach that has the guts to do what he feels right, regardless of others opinions.
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