RAFAEL BENITEZ swept five years of private discontent with Alex Ferguson into the public domain yesterday when he claimed the Manchester United manager acted above the law, and he warned Chelsea to expect the Scot to intimidate officials when the sides meet at Old Trafford tomorrow.

In an extraordinary, uncharacteristic outburst which echoed Kevin Keegan's infamous rant in 1996 but amounted to an overdue statement of facts as far as Benitez was concerned, the Liverpool manager said his United counterpart had been allowed to operate with impunity by the Premier League and Football Association (FA).

Reading from a handwritten statement and visibly angry, Benitez accused Ferguson of single-handedly destroying the FA's Respect campaign, of fearing Liverpool's title challenge and of hypocrisy over complaints regarding this season's schedule.

He also invited censure from the FA by accusing referee Steve Bennett of favouritism towards the European champions.

Later, and away from the television cameras, Benitez hinted at another schism in the Liverpool hierarchy by revealing his agent was "not very happy" at the lack of progress on his new contract.

But that development was overshadowed by the Spaniard's furious response to Ferguson's claim that Liverpool "will get nervous" as they hunt down their first league title since 1990, and the list of misdemeanours he had compiled against the United manager since Javier Mascherano's dismissal at Old Trafford in March.

"I want to be clear. I don't want to play mind games too early, but I think they want to start," Benitez said. "We started the Respect campaign and it started with the sending off of Mascherano at Old Trafford by Mr Bennett. That was the referee when they played against Wigan and he couldn't see the handball by Ferdinand and didn't give a penalty, and they won the game and the title. I think it is the same referee who will be in charge of their game in hand against Wigan.

"During the Respect campaign Ferguson was charged by the FA with improper conduct following remarks made against Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett. He was not punished. He is the only manager in the English league who cannot be punished for these things."

Referring to an independent commission's decision to clear Ferguson for comments that followed the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth last season, a verdict later criticised by the FA, he added: "We had a meeting in Manchester with managers and FA about the Respect campaign.

"And I was very clear, forget the campaign because Mr Ferguson was killing the referees, killing Mr Atkinson, killing Mr Hackett. How can you talk about the respect campaign and criticise the referee every single week?"

Benitez claimed United had "a fantastic advantage" in playing Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all at home in the second half of the season, despite Ferguson's complaints, and had a novel suggestion to appease the Scot.

"Mr Ferguson organises the fixtures and everything in his office and sends them to us. Then everyone will know and no one can complain. Simple," he said.

He concluded that it was common knowledge within the game that Ferguson and the United coaching team attempt to influence officials. "When we go to Old Trafford we also try to mark their staff," he added. "Maybe the other managers don't know, so now they can realise it is like this. Mr Scolari needs to know that they are always doing man-to-man with the referees when they go to the bench, and especially at half-time. They walk close to the referee and talking, talking, talking. It is a risk at every game there."

Benitez has been aggrieved by Ferguson's authority since he arrived at Anfield and has contemplated this outburst for several months. He was particularly incensed by Ferguson's assertion that Liverpool's victory at Chelsea in October was merely a good result for the reigning champions and, given how the criticism was pre-meditated, denied he had become another classic victim of the United manager's mind games.

He later said: "Why not respond? He has been talking about Liverpool since we played Chelsea. I am not irritated. I am very analytical and I know that I am only talking about the facts. I was not talking about my impression. I have my own opinions. It is very clear."

Guardian Service