Rafael BenÃtez has reiterated his desire to remain at Liverpool and will meet the club's owners to discuss his future next week, with a final decision to be made within a fortnight. BenÃtez's position has been the subject of recent speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid and he has been quick to take advantage of Liverpool's win over the Spanish champions on Tuesday to defend his record.
"Next week I am going to study my present and my future with my bosses," said BenÃtez, who was also quick to dismiss suggestions that he could leave ÂMerseyside. "I have to decide on my future in the next two weeks.
"People who see me leaving for Madrid are wrong. I have a contract with Liverpool, I owe Liverpool and I am only thinking about Liverpool. I am happy here and there is a project under way. I have been here for five years and [if I was to stay] from now on things would be easier."
For the first time, though, there was the hint that he is considering other alternatives should Liverpool not allow him to lead a stable project on his terms. There was a hint too of irritation at those who have jumped on the BenÃtez bandwagon now but did not back him before.
"I want a medium- or long-term project. I don't want to be working day to day, always hanging on the latest result, without a programme to follow or an idea to develop over a period of time," he said. "What I want is hard to find in Spain. Long-term projects do not exist [in Spain], like they do in England. I am young as coaches go and I can't predict my future. Real Madrid are a great club, a very great club, but I am at another wonderful club – one that really motivates me. I will work where I feel I can develop a project."
BenÃtez defended his record at Anfield on what he insisted were limited resources. He also responded to those who criticised his team's style and admitted that the words of Vicente Boluda, the Real Madrid president who said that the Spaniards would "take the mickey out of Liverpool"‚ gave his team added motivation.
"Competing with Manchester United and Chelsea is very difficult," he said. "I am not a cry-baby but they have enough money to sign five £20m players and, if one or two of them doesn't succeed, they have three more. I can sign two of them and, if one doesn't succeed or I make a mistake with one, then you really notice it."
"I have been given a tag that I do not deserve and is not true," BenÃtez added. "I keep saying so but it doesn't do any good. Last season we scored 119 goals – more than anyone else in England. Liverpool don't just hoof the ball, as I keep reading and hearing. We have produced some very good performances to get to two Champions League finals and a semi-final in the last four years. We are the best team in Europe over the last five years.
"With our full team against Madrid in the second leg we showed that we are aggressive and ambitious. We went for them. We could have scored more, too. Liverpool are a good team – despite the fact that people have showed us a lack of respect during this tie. I reminded my players of what Boluda said and that reinforced the need to win."
The Liverpool manager also paid tribute to his Spanish World Cup striker Fernando Torres, who played through an injury at Anfield and worked hard to score the opening goal.
"I didn't want to push him considering we have the game with Manchester United at Old Trafford coming up and we have no choice but to win that to keep our chances of winning the league alive," he said.
"However, he insisted and insisted and insisted on playing, he fought against the pain, he took injections, they almost had to plaster his ankle – and the miracle worked with the first goal. That's Torres for you: a real great."
Link to Guardian articleIt has to be sorted one way or another soon.