Benitez holds talks over Liverpool finances

Benitez holds talks over Liverpool finances

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has held talks with the club's managing director about the financial implications if it failed to reach the knockout round of the Champions League.

Liverpool has qualified from the group stage every season since Benitez took charge five years ago and won the competition in 2005. But it now risks elimination after a draw in midweek at Lyon, and could miss out on up to 10 million pounds ($16.6 million) from UEFA.

The 18-time English champions must win its final two Group E games and hope that Lyon gets at least a draw at Fiorentina in its next match.

"I spoke to (managing director) Christian Purslow the other day about the finances," Benitez said Saturday. "The first thing, though, is that we have confidence we can still reach the last 16 of the Champions League this season, but whatever happens, the budget was done for this season based on us only qualifying for the group stages. And we did that, that is complete.

"Whether we can still bring in more money, we will wait and see. The commercial department is working very hard, for the next season (qualifying) it is a question of time."

Another pressing problem is that Liverpool could miss out on the competition next season, with the team out of the Premier League top four following a disappointing start.

Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. are trying to raise around 100 million pounds by diluting their stakes.

Liverpool hosts Birmingham on Monday having lost three of its last four league matches.

"I am confident the team will finish in the top four and we are able to continue to do well in Europe, so let's start against Birmingham with the right result," Benitez said. "We have to do our job against Birmingham, and then I can guarantee that things will start to get easier."

That would be more likely if both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were fit following groin problems.

Gerrard is unlikely to be available for Monday, while Torres is likely to be risked again.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/10323288/Benitez-holds-talks-over-Liverpool-finances?

the budget was done for this season based on us only qualifying for the group stages. And we did that, that is complete.

Does that mean the handlers were not expecting to make any more money from the Champions League?

So if we qualify for the knockout stages, Rafa should be given more money to spend in January?

Surely it means the budget was made with an assumption of we don't go further than the group stage, doesn't it?
Which means, if we don't go beyond the group stage, then it's okay....

Yes it means they haven't inflated income assumtions al la LEEDS.....prudent I guess.

Does that mean the handlers were not expecting to make any more money from the Champions League?

I'd put it down to prudence, not an expectation that they wouldn't advance. It's like making overtime (pay) and living like that's how much you make. It's not. Your base salary is what you make. The extra is icing on the cake.

If the manager had been given the monies there would have been certain to qualify it's a case once again of getting out what you put in.

Surely it means the budget was made with an assumption of we don't go further than the group stage, doesn't it?
Which means, if we don't go beyond the group stage, then it's okay....

I think what is being said is that we needed to reach the group stages as a minimum, the powers that be must have assumed we would qualify after that.  If we don't qualify for the knock out stages we will have a slight advantage over the other 3 (let's face it we need all we can get right now)

Not qualifying would be a step backwards financially. And we will be suffering from that the is no way two Americans will be putting any money in. To not qualify for next seasons CL is unthinkable, we will be in financial dire straights

Makes top 4 imperative & if we end up in the Europa league,may as well win it.

Makes top 4 imperative & if we end up in the Europa league,may as well win it.

Europa League? Is there a benefit to winning that besides reputation?

I'd imagine rafa will field the 2nd 11 of liverpool FC for that competition.

I hope thats the case. Budgeting on money that is not guaranteed is always playing with fire.

I think it's smart giving money basing on the fact you're get to the group stage and no further. If we had spent loads of money thinking we'd get to the Quarter-finals, and we didn't even make the Europa league, then we would be in a huge mess.

If the manager had been given the monies there would have been certain to qualify it's a case once again of getting out what you put in.

Totally agree Stuey mate, I'm not giving Hicks and Gillett a pat on the back and a job well done for good financial management, had they invested in the summer and backed Rafa in the market and built on last seasons success, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. Sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate as once you've constructed solid foundations you build up on them. That been the biggest financial mismanagement of these two clowns this year so no way on earth am I going to give them a pat on the back for financially managing their own failure.

To be honest I would not even call it good financial management as the so called good financial management is heavily dictated to them on the financial documents leaked that contains their 5 year exit strategy plan, the one that also dictates Champions league football is a must over the 5 years along with a £20million transfer budget set in stone, Its hardly a sensation as I've already said it was dictated to them and they are just following the guide lines of the documents. If we failed to Qualify for the Champions League then we would be be in the "Proverbial" sh*t, then I would like to see their "Sound Financial Management", You know the kind of "sound financial management" that has got the club in sh*t loads of debt.... "PFFFFFFFT Rant Over"

I certainly wasn't giving them a pat on the back, but I'm glad they haven't over overextended themselves. Sounds like a bad joke that.

And, you're right. You've got to spend money to make money, especially in sports.

I certainly wasn't giving them a pat on the back, but I'm glad they haven't over overextended themselves. Sounds like a bad joke that.

And, you're right. You've got to spend money to make money, especially in sports.

mate I'm nor ranting at any one other than the two tw*ts that run the club, It all just reeks of these two cu*ts are so desperate to hold onto their own personal fortunes, they have strategy's in place to prevent them having to dip into their own pockets...The credit crunch must have been soul destroying for them as they were forced into dipping into their own pockets for the refinancing in the summer i believe. (correct me if i'm wrong)

Oh, I wasn't taking it personally. Just justifying my earlier comment I guess.

It's like making overtime (pay) and living like that's how much you make. It's not. Your base salary is what you make. The extra is icing on the cake.

I think that's a pretty good analogy of the situation. As much as fans hate the current owners and want them out, it doesn't mean that EVERYTHING they do is bad and to not overstretch by expecting us to go through the group stages is a wise move.