After months of mounting speculation about his future, the Spaniard
finally left the club yesterday by mutual consent.
Benitez’s position had effectively become untenable when the club’s
board agreed to approach him with an offer of a pay-off in the region of
£3m.
After signing a five -year deal in March 2009, Benitez was entitled
to a severance payment closer to £16m by the terms of his contract.
However, once he became aware of the Liverpool hierarchy’s stance
Benitez ordered his lawyers to try and bring the matter to a swift
conclusion.
Following negotiations that also involved managing director
Christian Purslow and independent chairman Martin Broughton, a formal
announcement was made via the club’s website confirming Benitez’s time
at Anfield is over.
Liverpool Legend David Fairclough: Rafael Benitez Had To Go To Keep Steven Gerrard
Written by Simos Sakkas
Thursday, 03 June 2010
The Anfield outfit are reported to be in
negotiations with their manager about a compensation package to
prematurely bring to an end his six-year stay. Unrest had been reported
between the Spaniard - who only last season inked a five-year deal with a
£16 million severance clause - and star players in his squad after a
disappointing seventh place Premier League finish.
Real Madrid are
understood to be ready to splash the cash to bring Gerrard to La Liga.
Three-time European Cup winner Fairclough, 53, argued to Sky Sports
News the Reds have no option but to get rid of Benitez to stop the
move happening.
"You have to have Steven here and I think their
only hope, probably, was to try and re-structure a change and a new name
at the top to perhaps make Steven commit," Fairclough said.
"I
think he wants to be a Liverpool player for the future but I think he
has to be clear about the way Liverpool are moving forward."
Liverpool players don't trust Benitez any more
Written by Simos Sakkas
Tuesday, 01 June 2010
The Liverpool hierarchy are reluctant to
sanction a sale until Benitez’s own future is resolved.
Should
the club feel it is time to cash in on a player who turned 30 earlier
this month they will ask for £10m, double the £5m fee they paid to West
Ham three years ago. However, with Benayoun desperate to depart, they
may settle for around £7m rather than keep an unhappy player.
The
midfielder has long had a fraught relationship with Benitez, which
reached breaking point towards the end of Liverpool’s dismal campaign.
Benayoun
was frustrated that he could not establish himself as an automatic
first choice, or complete a full 90 minutes, and felt that he was
singled out for unfair treatment by his manager.
