[article=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/pako-never-betrayed-rafa-benitez-8937032]Pako Ayestaran insists he didn’t betray Rafa Benitez but says he had to leave Liverpool FC because they were “going in different directions”.
The Spanish duo were close friends and had worked together for 11 years prior to Ayestaran quitting as the Reds’ No 2 in August 2007 following a series of disputes.
Benitez accused his assistant of “a betrayal” by talking to other clubs behind his back but Ayestaran denies that. The pair haven’t spoken since his exit.
“That’s not true. I never looked at any jobs behind his back,” Ayestaran told the ECHO.
“It’s true that I had offers from Spain but Rafa knew about them.
“No, I’ve not seen Rafa since. I’ve not been lucky.”
After three years at Liverpool which saw the club win both the Champions League and the FA Cup, Ayestaran says he left with a heavy heart.
“I would have loved to continue at the club for more years but the fact is I had stopped enjoying my work on a daily basis,” he said.
“I just felt Rafa and I were going in different directions in the way of wanting to do things. In terms of the training and the competitions, we were getting away from our principles.
“If you are not enjoying it then you are not a happy bunny, as you say in English. When that happens it’s time to move on.
“If it had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been such a difficult decision. But because it was Liverpool it was very difficult.
“There are other good clubs but Liverpool is a truly special club. It’s not easy to find a similar environment but I have no regrets about leaving. If I was going to be fulfilled I needed to go somewhere else.
“When I look back on my time at Liverpool, I keep in my mind the positives. The great moments, great experiences and great people. The positives are more important than anything that happened towards the end of my time there.”[/article]
I wonder what 'principles' he's talking about ... Maybe that was as much to do with the turn in fortunes post 2007 as Pako leaving.
The Spanish duo were close friends and had worked together for 11 years prior to Ayestaran quitting as the Reds’ No 2 in August 2007 following a series of disputes.
Benitez accused his assistant of “a betrayal” by talking to other clubs behind his back but Ayestaran denies that. The pair haven’t spoken since his exit.
“That’s not true. I never looked at any jobs behind his back,” Ayestaran told the ECHO.
“It’s true that I had offers from Spain but Rafa knew about them.
“No, I’ve not seen Rafa since. I’ve not been lucky.”
After three years at Liverpool which saw the club win both the Champions League and the FA Cup, Ayestaran says he left with a heavy heart.
“I would have loved to continue at the club for more years but the fact is I had stopped enjoying my work on a daily basis,” he said.
“I just felt Rafa and I were going in different directions in the way of wanting to do things. In terms of the training and the competitions, we were getting away from our principles.
“If you are not enjoying it then you are not a happy bunny, as you say in English. When that happens it’s time to move on.
“If it had been anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been such a difficult decision. But because it was Liverpool it was very difficult.
“There are other good clubs but Liverpool is a truly special club. It’s not easy to find a similar environment but I have no regrets about leaving. If I was going to be fulfilled I needed to go somewhere else.
“When I look back on my time at Liverpool, I keep in my mind the positives. The great moments, great experiences and great people. The positives are more important than anything that happened towards the end of my time there.”[/article]
I wonder what 'principles' he's talking about ... Maybe that was as much to do with the turn in fortunes post 2007 as Pako leaving.
