Inter boss Rafa Benitez slams former club Liverpool

Striking back: Inter Milan manager Rafa Benitez Rafa Benitez has risked souring his Liverpool legacy after launching a stinging attack on the Anfield board and claiming they 'know nothing' about football. The Inter Milan coach was ousted as Liverpool manager during the summer after a calamitous season in which he lost the confidence of several key players and almost missed out on Europe altogether. A Europa League place was eventually salvaged but could not gloss over an increasingly strained atmosphere in the dressing room and fractious relationship with senior figures behind the scenes. Constantly at odds with Anfield's heirarchy over policy matters and transfer funds, he accepted an offer from Inter president Massimo Moratti to fill the vacancy created by Jose Mourinho's move to Real Madrid. Moratti is notorious for trying to influence the choice of signings, yet Benitez derided his former employers and insisted he already has a far better rapport with his new San Siro boss. Under fire: Liverpool's American owners George Gillett Jnr (left) and Tom Hicks 'The last year at Liverpool I had directors who knew nothing aboutsoccer, and you couldn't talk about soccer with them,' the 50-year oldSpaniard said. 'My relationship with president Massimo Moratti is good, he is a man who knows his soccer.' Given Benitez had little direct contact with co-owners Tom Hicks andGeorge Gillett or chairman Martin Broughton, who was recruited tooversee a proposed sale of the club, his bitter outburst would appearto be aimed at chief executive Christian Purslow or commercial directorIan Ayre. Taken out of context: Daniel Agger Purslow was the main point of contact for transfer discussions andother day-to-day matters. But, like Ayre, he is a lifelong Liverpoolfan who has always taken a keen interest in the team's fortunes. Daniel Agger backtracked yesterday and escaped the wrath of managerRoy Hodgson after claiming his televised observations about Liverpool'sstyle of play had been taken out of context. The Liverpool centre-back discussed an apparent change of styleunder Hodgson and was quoted as saying he would not resort to hittinglong balls, even if it meant failing to regain his place in the side. 'I am very disappointed with the papers in Denmark for the way they have done this story,' he said. 'The problem was that the questions I was asked never appeared ontelevision, only the answers. So the papers put their own questions in,and what came out was 100 per cent wrong. 'An example was the quote about me not playing long balls. The TVjournalist asked me what I needed to do to get back in the team andsuggested I start hitting more long balls. I said I would not do thatbecause I was not that type of player. That is where that quote camefrom. I actually think we play good football and that we showed itagainst Arsenal and Manchester United.' Agger will start against Northampton in tonight's Carling Cup tie atAnfield, as will keeper Brad Jones and defender Danny Wilson, who maketheir debuts.  Raul Meireles ranks Liverpool pal Steven Gerrard with Michael Essien and Andres Iniesta as world's best Daniel Agger delivers route one snub to Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson: I won't play long ball LIVERPOOL FC

Source: Daily_Mail