Liverpool boss Benitez won over by Bellamy gesture
tribalfooball.com - March 04, 2007
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admits he was won over by Craig Bellamy's reaction to the fallout from his controversy at The Algarve.
Bellamy, who admits he "lost control" when a boozy karaoke clash with John Arne Riise ended with him allegedly brandishing a golf club in fury, was joined by keeper Jerzy Dudek the morning after as they held their hands up to their part in the mayhem. Their contrition made it easier for the Liverpool boss to forgive, although he is unlikely to forget what took place in Portugal during the build-up to his side's Champions League victory in Barcelona.
Bellamy's future remains in serious doubt despite his match-winning contribution at the Nou Camp. But as he looks forward to the last-16 second leg on Tuesday night, Benitez (left) admits his respect for the reaction of the two main protagonists of that wild night.
The manager said: "I was thinking about what to do but the players came to me and said if they were fined they wanted to give the money to charity.
"That was a very good solution for me as it showed a good mentality. Seeing how people react after they make a mistake is the key for me. It meant that I could think, for instance, of playing Bellamy at the Nou Camp."
tribalfooball.com - March 04, 2007
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admits he was won over by Craig Bellamy's reaction to the fallout from his controversy at The Algarve.
Bellamy, who admits he "lost control" when a boozy karaoke clash with John Arne Riise ended with him allegedly brandishing a golf club in fury, was joined by keeper Jerzy Dudek the morning after as they held their hands up to their part in the mayhem. Their contrition made it easier for the Liverpool boss to forgive, although he is unlikely to forget what took place in Portugal during the build-up to his side's Champions League victory in Barcelona.
Bellamy's future remains in serious doubt despite his match-winning contribution at the Nou Camp. But as he looks forward to the last-16 second leg on Tuesday night, Benitez (left) admits his respect for the reaction of the two main protagonists of that wild night.
The manager said: "I was thinking about what to do but the players came to me and said if they were fined they wanted to give the money to charity.
"That was a very good solution for me as it showed a good mentality. Seeing how people react after they make a mistake is the key for me. It meant that I could think, for instance, of playing Bellamy at the Nou Camp."