by Reg » Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:59 pm
The Times March 18, 2009
Benitez has signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool, ending months of speculation over his future
Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent
Rafael Benitez finally committed his long-term future to Liverpool this evening, signing a new five-year contract after winning his 17-month power struggle with the club's board.
Benitez’s future at Liverpool had been in doubt since he revealed in January that he had rejected the club’s first offer of a new contract, but the Merseyside club announced this evening that a new deal has been agreed that should keep him at Anfield until June 2014, ten years after his arrival from Valencia.
“My heart is with Liverpool Football Club, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal," Benitez said. "I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club like this and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying. I always made clear I wanted to be here for a long time and when I complete my new contract it will mean I have spent over a decade in Liverpool.
"The club is greatly respected around the world due to its incredible history and tremendous heritage. It is my aim to uphold those values and help create a new chapter in our history.
"Throughout this process, I would like to thank the owners for their hard work in finalising the deal. All of us at the club want the same thing, which is to be successful by winning major trophies."
Benitez has had a turbulent relationship with the Liverpool hierarchy since a well-documented dispute with Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the club’s owners, in October 2007, at which point Gillett attempted to replace him with Jurgen Klinsmann. Although he has since had a rapprochement with Hicks, Benitez’s relationship with Gillett has never recovered. Nor has his working relationship with Rick Parry, who will step down as chief executive at the end of the season.
The new contract will see a considerable increase in Benitez’s £3 million-a-year wage, moving him closer to parity with managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, but far more significant to the 48-year-old is the redefinition of his responsibilities. Benitez encountered significant opposition at first when he demanded overall control of all football matters, which would include his transfer budget and the youth academy as well as the first team, but finally he has succeeded in securing the assurances he was looking for in terms of his job description.