Nevertheless, Liverpool are without doubt one of the
biggest clubs in world football, the sleepiest of giants. With five
European Cups and 18 English top-flight championships to their
name, the Reds are looking to replicate their illustrious past, and
despite the club’s financial difficulties, the job remains one of
the most attractive propositions for managers throughout
Europe.
Goal looks at the credentials of those who are
emerging as the leading candidates to take over from
Benitez...
Guus Hiddink
Turkey
Age: 63
Key achievements: 1 Champions League, 6 Eredivisie titles
and 4 KNVB Cups (PSV Eindhoven)
1 Intercontinental Cup (Real Madrid)
1 FA Cup (Chelsea)
Fourth place in 1998 World Cup (Netherlands)
Fourth place in 2002 World Cup (South Korea)
Titan Bet odds:
8/1
Jurgen
Klinsmann
Unattached
Age: 45
Key achievements: Third place in 2006 World Cup
(Germany)
Second place in Bundesliga (Bayern Munich)
Titan Bet odds:
12/1
Slaven Bilic
Croatia
Age: 41
Key achievements: Quarter-finals in Euro 2008
(Croatia)
Titan Bet odds:
16/1
Mark
Hughes
Unattached
Age: 46
Key achievements: FA Cup semi-finals, League Cup
final, UEFA Cup qualification (Blackburn Rovers)
Titan Bet odds:
16/1
Alex McLeish
Birmingham City
Age: 51
Key achievements: 1 Scottish First Division title
(Hibernian)
2 Scottish Premier League titles, 2 Scottish Cups and 3 Scottish
League Cups (Rangers)
Top 10 finish in the Premier League (Birmingham City)
Titan Bet odds:
20/1
Manuel
Pellegrini
Unattached
Age: 56
Key achievements: During his year tenure at
Villarreal, Pellegrini led the La Liga side to the Champions League
semi-final in the 2005-06 season. Furthermore, the Chilean
tactician led the Yellow Submarine's to their highest ever league
finish, when they were runners-up to Real Madrid in the 2007-08
season, a feat he repeated with Real last season.
Frank Rijkaard
Galatasaray
Age: 47
Key achievements: Euro 2000 semi-finals
(Netherlands)
1 UEFA Champions League, 2 Primera Division titles and 2 Supercopa
de Espana (Barcelona)
Titan Bet odds:
20/1
Louis van
Gaal
Bayern Munich
Age: 58
Key achievements: 3 Eredivisie titles, 3 Dutch Super Cups,
1 Dutch Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 1
Intercontinental Cup (Ajax)
2 Primera Division titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 1 UEFA Super Cup
(Barcelona)
1 Eredivisie title (AZ Alkmaar)
1 Bundesliga title, 1 German Cup, 1 Audi Cup and Champions League
Runner-up (Bayern Munich)
Sammy Lee
Liverpool assistant manager
Age: 51
Key Achievements: Enjoyed a ten-year career with the
club from 1976-86, winning three league titles and two European
Cups. Has been Rafa Benitez's assistant since 2008.
Titan Bet odds:
20/1
Marco van Basten
Unattached
Age: 45
Key Achievements: Has managed both the Dutch national side
and Ajax. Reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup finals.
Titan Bet odds:
25/1
Luiz Felipe
Scolari
Unattached
Age: 61
Key Achievements: A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002,
the former Chelsea boss has 17 tropies to his name thus far, most
of which from his time working in Brazil.
Titan Bet odds:
25/1
Bernd
Schuster
Unattached
Age: 50
Key Achievements: La Liga winner with Real Madrid in 2008,
and the subsequent Supercopa in the same year.
Titan Bet odds:
25/1
Marcello Lippi
Italy
Age: 62
Key Achievements: The Italian national coach has an
illustrious track record, having won 14 trophies, including five
Italian league titles, and the 2006 World Cup with Italy.
Titan Bet odds:
33/1
Kevin Keegan
Unattached
Age: 59
Key Achievements: Winner of three Football League
championships (English football's second tier) with Newcastle
United (1992-93), Fulham (1998-99), Manchester City (2001-02), the
former Liverpool hero, and England coach, finished runner up in the
Premier League whilst Newcastle boss in 1996.
Titan Bet odds:
33/1
Sven-Goran Eriksson
Ivory Coast
Age: 62
Key Achievements: The former England coach enjoyed much
success while managing in Italy, claiming the Serie A title with
Lazio in 2000 along with the Coppa Italia (1998, 2000). He also won
both the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1999, and the UEFA Super Cup in
the same year.
Titan Bet odds:
33/1
Alan Curbishley
Unattached
Age: 52
Key Achievements: The former West Ham and won secured
promotion to the Premier League with Charlton in 1998, winning the
play-off final on penalties after the infamous 4-4 draw with
Sunderland.
Titan Bet odds:
33/1
Harry
Redknapp
Tottenham
Hotspur
Age: 63
Key Acheivements: The Spurs gaffer secured Champions
League football for the first time in the club's history last
season with a top four finish in the Premier League. At Portsmouth,
the former West Ham boss won the FA Cup in 2008.
Titan Bet odds:
50/1
John
Toshack
Wales
Age: 61
Key Achievements: Winner of the Copa del Rey in 1987 with
Real Madrid, the Welsh coach and former Anfield hero secured the La
Liga title with the Spanish giants in 1990.
Titan Bet odds:
50/1
Juande Ramos
Unattached
Age: 55
Key Achievements: Despite a sour end to his time at
Tottenham, the Spaniard won the League Cup in his first season with
the Londoners (2008). While at Sevilla, he lifted back-to-back UEFA
Cups (2006, 2007), and the Copa del Rey in 2007.
Titan Bet odds:
50/1