Rick Parry: "There were a lot of names that came into our minds and we thought long and hard about it. There was the whole issue of whether we should have an English coach or foreign coach. The position was we needed the best coach. We want to win titles. It's been a long time since the league title was here so it was a case of let's find somebody who has got a track record of winning league titles, and Rafa's track record in that regard is pretty good."

Aztán ő is közölte, hogy számára mi az elsődleges prioritás:

Benitez said: "It is important we keep Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen. If we want to win the title then we need to have players with their mentality in the side.

Ötven százalékban megkapta, amit akart, ezért ő is ötven százalékban teljesített, Premier League helyett Champions League. :)