This might be Rafa Benitez’s last weekend at Anfield.
The Liverpool board were in a meeting till late today to finalize a severance package that would pay £3m for an immediate departure. Benitez was on holiday but his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon said that he would convey the board’s decision to the Spaniard by Thursday.
The club is strapped for cash and could only commit about £5m in transfer fees without transfer sales – far below Rafa’s demands of £50m which he said would be necessary to put the club back in track to challenge for the Premiership.
In fact, the £3m severance is a compromise package well below the £16m that Benitez is expected to receive for termination of contract.
With a number of players already in the pipeline to leave Anfield during the summer including Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, and Steven Gerrard – the Benitez era maybe truly over.
It was marked by some signature signings and the epic 2005 Champions League title. But every success was also marred by innumerable failures both tactical and personnel. This season was abysmal as Liverpool plummeted to 7th position missing out on a Champions League place and missing out on a Europa Cup consolation prize.
With Fabio Capello committing to England’s 2012 Euro campaign, Massimo Moratti could turn to the Spaniard to take over at Inter. Which could mean Roy Hodgson will leave Fulham to coach one of the most storied clubs in the world.