Source: Telegraph
Rafa's Benitez's Liverpool contract: the clauses that sealed the deal
13.30
Rafa Benitez says Liverpool's fans convinced him to stay at Anfield (although not in the same way they allegedly convinced Steven Gerrard to stay at Anfield).
'Last week I met with a supporter who carries a flag to every game,' said Benitez. 'The flag has a picture of me on it and the Spanish phrase 'siempre es possible' and it is flown at all our home games. I saw it at the Bernabeu also when we played Real Madrid and I met the supporter who owns the flag at Melwood last week. He was telling me 'you must sign' and saying 'I hope it is for 10 years' but then he was changing his mind 'no, no 20 years'. It was really funny but it also showed the incredible passion of the Liverpool fans and the support that they give to their manager. I also remember the Porto game last season when the fans demonstrated for me. That is something I will never forget.'
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13.00 THE BUNG AT ONE
Quote of the day: "I don't even know who the assistant manager of Hull is or what he looks like," Cesc Fabregas counters allegations he is arrogant and dismissive of the Premier League's lesser lights.
Bet of the day: AaB Aalborg to beat Man City @13/8.
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12.50
Next in the queue for Carlos Tevez Compensation is...Stoke midfielder Michael Tonge.
Seeing as Tonge - unlike his former Blades boss Neil Warnock - is Premier League employee these days, you do wonder if this whole thing is becoming just a teensie bit ridiculous. But Tonge is said: "I'm not taking it upon myself to make a claim, but might consider joining one.'
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12.00 THE HEADLINES THIS HOUR
Michael Owen has revealed the extent to which his injury hell has impacted on his decision-making abilities. MO: "I should never have gone to Germany with England. But if I had my time again, I would still have gone because it was a World Cup."
The FA have written to Hull City to ask for the full rundown of their allegations against Cesc Fabregas. Let's hope Phil Brown can get his story straight in print...
And Spurs have reported an annual pre-tax profit of £39.8 million thanks, largely, to a clever policy of selling players in the summer then buying them back in January.
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11.50
Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, says the policy of selling and re-signing players "reflects well on the club."
Jermain Defoe, Pascal Chimbonda and Robbie Keane all returned to White Hart Lane less than a year after leaving - moves seemed to make agents richer and create instability, but Levy said: "It reflects well on the club that these players chose to return to us."
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11.00 THE HEADLINES THIS HOUR
Sir Alex Ferguson has congratulated Rafa Benitez on his new Liverpool deal by calling him "weird" and leaving him out of his top three managers' list.
Read more here...
Cesc Fabregas says he did not spit at Brian Horton, even though he doesn't know who Brian Horton is. And he didn't spit at Michael Ballack either in that "Cesc Fabregas Spits At Michael Ballack Video."
Read, and watch, here...
And Harry Redknapp says Spurs are still in the title race. Because they've got to play the top three.
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REVEALED: RAFA'S NEW DEAL
ATTN: Rafael Benitez, The Most Expensive House in the Wirral. Merseyside. CH46 1RB.
Subject: NOTICE OF CHANGE TO EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT.
Dear Rafa,
As agreed in our discussion of Monday 19th March, 2009, the following changes in your employment contract will take effect on 1st April 2009.
Details of change: Contract dated 01/07/2004 – Clauses 2,4, 7a, 12, and 23c.
The Employer: Liverpool Football Club, Liverpool FC. Anfield Road. Liverpool, Merseyside. L4 OTH
The Employee: Rafael Benitez, The Most Expensive House in the Wirral. Merseyside, CH46 1RB.
Clause 2: Job description. Current: The employee's job title is: Manager. New: The employee's title is: Emperor.
Summary of changes: Under the new contract arrangement, the employee will assume complete and unquestionable control over all matters regarding to the business, future and finances of Liverpool Football Club (LFC), both on and off the field. Player recruitment, boardroom appointments, pre-season tours, colour of playing kit (Home, Away and Third), office wallpaper, car park space allocation, stadium design, disciplinary procedure, canteen menu and identity of broadband provider are all at the sole discretion of the employee.
Clause 4. Sickness entitlement. The employer will receive full salary for an unlimited amount of time due to sickness caused by kidney stones and/or injuries caused by excessive and animated hand waving.
Clause 7a. Status of chief executive. LFC's current chief executive, Richard Parry, will be immediately stripped of all privileges related to the office. Those include club mobile phone, director's box access and subsidised treatments at Pam's Perm Palace. Mr Parry will be allowed paid entry to the stadium only on those occasions the employee is in hospital undergoing kidney stone removal surgery.
Clause 12. Jurgen Klinsmann. Any club employee/board member heard to mention the phrases 'Jurgen' and/or 'Klinsmann' will be instantly dismissed.
Clause 23c. Facts. Current: Facts are objectively provable statements. New: Facts are whatever the employee says they are.
These are the agreed changes to your contract. Please read, sign, and return in the envelope provided, one signed copy of this notice.
Yours faithfully,
Tom Hicks and (reluctantly) George Gillett.
