By Football Talk.
Rafa Benitez looks set to leave Liverpool within 48 hours, bringing to an end a 6-year stay on Merseyside. The Anfield board opened talks with Rafa’s representatives last night in a bid to agree a severance package, with a £3m pay-off offered for Benitez to walk away. However, Rafa only signed a long-term contract recently and is entitled to £16m should he be sacked. But both parties are now in talks to find a deal that suites both parties.
Benitez’s position has been under scrutiny after a disappointing campaign which saw Liverpool finish seventh in the Premier League, and had early exits from the Champions League and domestic cups.Benitez is currently on holiday and his agent is refusing to comment.
It seems the Anfield hierarchy had to make a decision now, as senior Liverpool players such as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard had both lost faith in Benitez and were considering leaving the club unless a change was made. In the end, the decision was a relatively simple one.
The problem now will be just who will be able to come in and do a better job under such difficult circumstances. If reports are accurate, there may only be around £5m available for player recruitment this summer and there is continued uncertainty over the ownership of the club which will put-off most big-name managers. There are rumours that Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish will take over on a temporary basis until Hicks and Gillet manage to sell the club, meaning the new owners can install their own man.
