Benitez turns fire on Man Utd CEO Gill

AFP - 12 January 2009 17:50

Liverpool´s Spanish manager Rafael Benitez arrives before they take on Preston North End in their FA Cup match at Deepdale in Preston, northwest England, January 3. Benitez, not content with attacking Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson, has now criticised his rivals´ chief executive David Gill.

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, not content with attacking Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson, has now criticised his rivals' chief executive David Gill.

In the build-up to last weekend's matches Benitez stunned English football with a series of comments about what he regards as Ferguson's hypocrisy, bullying of officials and serial whingeing.

And on Monday he accused Gill, also a senior figure at England's governing Football Association, of a conflict of interest.

Premier League leaders Liverpool could only manage a goalless draw with Stoke while English, European and world champions United thrashed title rivals Chelsea 3-0.

Although Ferguson's men are five points behind Liverpool, they could be top of the table by the time of Monday's Merseyside derby if they win their two games in hand this week against Wigan and Bolton.

But Benitez, far from being cowed into silence by recent results, broadened his attack on United.

"They were saying we are a threat. Now they know we are, they are playing mind games," he said.

"But I don't think it's a mind game when you have control over everything; it's a mind game when you have the same level as the other people, then you can show you are cleverer than the others," the Spaniard added.

"But when you have control of everything and your chief executive is powerful in the FA and things like this, then that is not mind games.

"Is there a conflict of interest with David Gill at the FA?

"That is another fact. It is a fact that one person has a lot of power and control, and is on a lot of committees in the FA. To me that is very strange."

Neither the FA nor United have commented.

Ferguson, in a tone that verged towards one of pity, responded to Benitez's initial comments by saying after the Chelsea match: "There was a lot of venom in what he has said and I don't understand where it has come from.

"He is obviously disturbed about something," the Scot added. "When he reflects on it he must realise what a ridiculous thing he is saying."