Italian job: Benitez is in the frame for the Juve
job
Rafa Benitez's agent left the door open for an approach
by Juventus.
Under-fire Juve coach Ciro Ferrera is on the verge of being
sacked after a third straight defeat, and the
Liverpool manager
is the preferred choice to revive their flagging fortunes.
Manuel Garcia Quilon, Benitez’s agent, refused to rule out a
switch, saying: ‘Benitez to Juventus? In football, you never know.
I do not know what will happen in four to five months. In football,
everything changes quickly, but the basic principle is that Rafa
still has a four-year contract with Liverpool.’
Though Benitez has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to
Liverpool, and particularly appreciates continued backing from
fans, he could be tempted by a move to Serie A.
He is a close friend of recently-appointed director Roberto
Bettega, an influential figure in the Juventus boardroom, and sees
the job as one of the biggest in Europe.
Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett recently voiced
their support for Benitez but continue to deny him funds.
Even Monday’s £310million sale of Hicks’s Texas Rangers baseball
team failed to improve matters, with Benitez admitting he still had
to sell before he could buy.
