Rafa is on radiocity

[Tezza1974]

rafa's interview is on the radio city website from 6pm saturday

[Mostar]

Just in case if anyone missed it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/25/rafael-benitez-christain-purslow-liverpool-exit

Rafael Benítez blames Christian Purslow for Liverpool exit•

Rafael Benítez blames Liverpool's managing director, Christian Purslow, pictured, for his departure this summer. Photograph: Tim Hales/AP

Rafael Benítez has blamed Liverpool's managing director, Christian Purslow, for his departure from Anfield and the club's financial problems for last season's dramatic downturn on the pitch.

The former Liverpool manager accepted a severance payment worth up to £6m to leave Anfield this month, following a miserable campaign that yielded a seventh-place finish in the Premier League and saw the club drop out of the Champions League for the first time in six years.

Benítez endured a fraught relationship with Liverpool's co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, during his final years at Anfield and the pair tried to replace him as manager with Jürgen Klinsmann. However, the new Internazionale coach said the man responsible for his exit was Purslow, who joined Liverpool in June last year and is now overseeing the search for the Spaniard's successor as manager.

"It was really sad," Benítez said when discussing his departure in an interview with Radio City today. "I was on holiday so it was a surprise that everything was going on in this way, but at the end of the day it has to be like this because Christian Purslow is now in charge and he decided to do it in this way. That is it. It is really sad but you have to move forwards. I said to my family that we cannot stay talking too much or complain too much; we have to move forwards.

"The people of Liverpool are fighters and I was fighting from the beginning until the end. Now I have to do the same and I have to be thinking about the future. I was really pleased here, the fans were amazing, but I can't stand around complaining. I have to move forward and do my best for my new club." Liverpool declined to comment.

Roy Hodgson is expected to become the club's next manager once the terms of his departure from Fulham and contract at Anfield have been resolved, but Benítez said the problems of last season will not be eradicated simply by his exit. "It's strange. This year everything changed from the beginning," he said.

"People in the club changed and the approach to everything was different. Clearly it was a question in the beginning of controlling the money we could spend or not, and everything was different to the past. We were so close to winning the title the year before that everybody was expecting something more but we couldn't do it. We had some problems from the beginning with injuries and some performances, and there was a little bit of frustration. At the end the atmosphere was different and we can see now during the summer that the fans are not very happy."

Benítez kept open the possibility of a return to Merseyside, insisting he has no plans to sell his house in Wirral. He added: "I can guarantee one thing – I will not sell my house. It is our home and we will come back. I don't know when but we will come back for sure."

[Mostar]

This one has more details.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/06/25/everything-changed-last-season-but-I-ll-be-back-to-liverpool-says-rafael-benitez-92534-26722423/

RAFAEL BENITEZ has claimed ‘everything changed’ at Liverpool last season and that he will return to the city one day.

The Spaniard left Anfield by mutual consent earlier this month after a disappointing campaign in which his team finished seventh in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League just a year after narrowly missing out on the league title.

Reflecting on his six years on Merseyside, the new Inter Milan manager claims his final year at Anfield was made difficult due to changes of personnel at the club.

“This year everything changed from the beginning,” said Benitez.

“The people in the club changed and then the approach was different.

“Clearly there was the question of controlling the money we could or couldn’t spend. From the beginning of the season everything was different to in the past. We were so close to winning the title the season before. Everybody was expecting us to do something more. But we had problems from the beginning with injuries and performances. That led to a bit of frustration and you could see the atmosphere at the club was different at the end of the season.

“Now, during the summer, you can see the fans are not very happy.

“I enjoyed the first five years especially but the last year was more difficult. But the memories after six years have been really good overall.”

Despite a strained relationship with the club’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Benitez describes his sadness at his departure and paid tribute to the Liverpool supporters.“I was really sad to leave Liverpool,” said the 50-year-old. “It’s really sad but you have to move forward. I always say to my family that you cannot stay talking too much, or complain too much.

“The people of Liverpool are fighters and I came here fighting from the beginning until the end. I was really pleased at Liverpool where the fans were amazing. Now I have to think about the future. I must move forward and do the best for my new club.”

As Liverpool faltered last season, Benitez provided the guarantee of a top four finish. It was a promise he could not keep and the former Valencia boss admits to making mistakes during his time at the club.

“Every manager can make mistakes,” he says. “We know we made some mistakes. But if you analyse them in the context of the decision, sometimes you have to do these things.

“For example, if you play two holding midfielders maybe it’s because you don’t have the offensive midfielders you need.

“Some journalists like to analyse but don’t always know exactly what’s going on. It’s difficult to have to explain every single day. But all managers make mistakes and will continue to do so in the future.”

Benitez always maintained his family were settled in England and has said he intends to keep their home on the Wirral.

“I can guarantee one thing,” he finished. “I will not sell my house. It is our home here.

“We will come back. I don’t know when, but we will come back for sure.”

[Vermilion]

[Stanbull]

What a slimy cunt Purslow is waiting till he went on holiday, bet he sent Rafa a text

[Mostar]

I've been re-reading this interview and I cannot help but feel terrible sadness that we let him go. You can hardly find anybody out there (managers) who are more red than Rafa and who are more in love with our club...

I was unhappy with his performance last year and was sitting on the fence about his prospects at the club this upcoming season but now after he's gone, cannot shake the feeling that we have just lost one of greatest tacticians of our time.

I for one wish him the best with his new club and truly would hope that he comes back to manage us one more time..

[Kronenburg1892]

The more I read about this, the more I believe last season was about falling on his sword for the greater good.

I guess we can measure his ability as a manager next season at Inter.

[Neil Young]

What?

Are you suggesting Rafa deliberately made the team finish seventh?

[Kronenburg1892]

What?

Are you suggesting Rafa deliberately made the team finish seventh?

No, I'm suggesting he didn't make fourth.

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

I think my computer is infected with a virus,or was almost infected.
google took me to a page called the republic of mancunia and virus threats appeared.
Thankfully AVG will take care of the virus scum.
Incase anyone is wondering how i ended up there,i was looking for something to do with rafa,but instead it was about their player Rafael.

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

Does Rafa have an autobiography?

[5europeancups]

not wishing to undermine the rose tinted Rafa love in, but yet again we have an example of why Rafais so frustrating.

He left because Liverpool came 7th and havent won anything in years after a terrible season.

It is typical of the man to yet again blame someone else, and in this case Purslowe.

I think that Rafa does not like reporting into people. He had the same gripes about Parry, and would have the sdame complainsts about anyone. He doesnt know his own limits unfortunately.

[Neil Young]

No, I'm suggesting he didn't make fourth.

What does that have to do with falling on his sword for the greater good?

[Neil Young]

not wishing to undermine the rose tinted Rafa love in

Oh do f*ck off.

but yet again we have an example of why Rafais so frustrating.

He left because Liverpool came 7th and havent won anything in years after a terrible season.

It is typical of the man to yet again blame someone else, and in this case Purslowe.

I think that Rafa does not like reporting into people. He had the same gripes about Parry, and would have the sdame complainsts about anyone. He doesnt know his own limits unfortunately.

I know you're a big fan of the board and that but there is another explanation entirely and one I find much more convincing than your simplistic understanding.

He doesnt know his own limits unfortunately.

Hmm, that might just apply to many of us, including you.

[Shaggy]

deleted, sorry - not very constructive. Still, what a bellend.