Soccer:Inter Milan coach Rafa Benitez has responded to Liverpool's claims he agreed not to poach players from Anfield by insisting he is not responsible for signing players for the Italian club.
Reds manager Roy Hodgson said Benitez would be reneging on an agreement not to raid Anfield for players if he pursued Dutch forward Dirk Kuyt and midfielder Javier Mascherano.
But Benitez, speaking in Monaco ahead of tomorrow’s Uefa Super Cup final between Inter and Atletico Madrid, ducked questions about any agreement.
“I am the coach and I cannot sign players — that is for the technical director and the chairman," the Spaniard said. “I am fine like this — I can focus on my work on the pitch and that is all. I am the coach, not the manager.”
Inter confirmed this morning they bid for Javier Mascherano on Tuesday.
"I sent an offer to Liverpool by fax on Tuesday and I am waiting for a reply from them," said Nerazzurri sporting director Marco Branca. "We're not speaking to the player at the moment because we want to do this in the right way and make sure that Liverpool are happy.
"Everybody knows that Mascherano would like to change team and to change country. He also has a good relationship with our manager Rafa Benitez.
"We've made a very good offer, around the amount they are asking for. We have a strong team here, the best in Europe, but we would like to add one or two players to make us even stronger."
Liverpool are holding out for around €25 million for the midfielder and Inter's offer is believed to be short of that but better, in cash terms, than Barcelona's, who have bid in the region of €16 million, plus Aleksandr Hleb, for his services.
After three seasons with the club, Mascherano is desperate for a move away as his family have not settled in England. Barca forward and compatriot Lionel Messi has urged Liverpool to let his national captain leave.
"Javier won't play for the club again, I can assure you of that, and I think the Liverpool coach knows that now," said Messi. "Javier's family are unhappy and the pressure of seeing that is making him depressed. Liverpool must act humanely and let him go."
Hodgson claimed yesterday he was not aware of Kuyt's desire to leave.
“Dirk has not expressed that sentiment to me,” said Hodgson. “When he left the club Rafael Benitez signed an agreement that he would not poach players from Liverpool.
“We haven’t received an offer from any club so this is something obviously going on behind the scenes, with the agent possibly talking to the manager of Inter Milan.”