Well that was one of the biggest headlines of the week in both England and Spain as well as in Italy. Not pleased with Claudio Rainieri´s job during his 14-month tenure with La Vecchia Signora, the club is already looking for a replacement and the Spaniard is at the top of the list. Somehow they were never able to figure out the fact that Rainieri has a special touch. He is the type of coach that is able to turn gold into lead. If you needed a greater example of his haplessnes, look at Chelsea before and after him.
The season has not gone the way the fans and board would have planned it at the beginning of the season. Juventus was one of the teams that was to be a major player in the transfer market, but they did not quite make the splash that they wanted to. That is mostly attributed to injuries to players like David Trezeguet, the fact that some of the transfers are not getting into rhythm or adapting to Serie A. Regardless of his performance on the bench, in Italy when they say you will be gone, chances are that you will be.
Although it is still a while until this becomes a reality, it could happen because Liverpool have not put a deal on the table to extend the coach´s contract. Benitez is currently under contract until 2010, the current ownership of the club has not put into action a promise that they made seven months ago- extend Rafa´s contract. Add that to yet the inifite number of reasons why fans of the Reds despise their current American ownership. This has not only started a greater rift between the coach and owners George Gillett and Dan Hicks, but could end the relationship permanently. Both sides are not too fond of eac other to begin with especially after Hicks began inquiring about the possibility of Jurgen Klinsmann in the middle of last year.
A new poll states that Juventus fans prefer the Liverpool boss over former Barcelona man Frank Rikjaard. That would be obvious because of the former AC Milan man´s allegiances. Juventus are currently in 11th place in the Serie table with only nine points.
