Striking back: Inter Milan manager Rafa
Benitez
Rafa Benitez has risked souring his Liverpool legacy
after launching a stinging attack on the Anfield board and claiming
they 'know nothing' about football.
The Inter Milan coach was ousted as Liverpool manager during the
summer after a calamitous season in which he lost the confidence of
several key players and almost missed out on Europe altogether.
A Europa League place was eventually salvaged but could not
gloss over an increasingly strained atmosphere in the dressing room
and fractious relationship with senior figures behind the
scenes.
Constantly at odds with Anfield's heirarchy over policy matters
and transfer funds, he accepted an offer from Inter president
Massimo Moratti to fill the vacancy created by Jose Mourinho's move
to Real Madrid.
Moratti is notorious for trying to influence the choice of
signings, yet Benitez derided his former employers and insisted he
already has a far better rapport with his new San Siro boss.
Under fire: Liverpool's American owners George
Gillett Jnr (left) and Tom Hicks
'The last year at Liverpool I had directors who knew
nothing about soccer, and you couldn't talk about soccer with
them,' the 50-year old Spaniard said.
'My relationship with president Massimo Moratti is good, he is a
man who knows his soccer.'
Given Benitez had little direct contact with co-owners Tom Hicks
and George Gillett or chairman Martin Broughton, who was recruited
to oversee a proposed sale of the club, his bitter outburst would
appear to be aimed at chief executive Christian Purslow or
commercial director Ian Ayre.
Purslow was the main point of contact for transfer discussions
and other day-to-day matters. But, like Ayre, he is a lifelong
Liverpool fan who has always taken a keen interest in the team's
fortunes.