Problems pile up for Liverpool as owners’ rift deepens
James Ducker
Tom Hicks’s troubled relationship with George Gillett Jr turned ugly yesterday when the Liverpool co-owner threatened to block any attempts by his business partner to sell his 50 per cent stake in the Barclays Premier League club.
Dubai International Capital (DIC) remains committed to buying Gillett’s stake in the first phase of its quest to take control at Anfield, but Hicks claimed that his fellow American is answerable to him and cannot sell without obtaining his permission.
Hicks’s outburst is the first public indication of the extent of the breakdown in his relationship with Gillett and came on another turbulent day for Liverpool, during which Jamie Carragher was arrested and cautioned for common assault and Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, backed Steven Gerrard’s withering assessment of the club’s failings on and off the pitch.
“Not only am I not going to sell, my partner cannot sell without my approval,” Hicks said. “So I kind of have the ability to determine the outcome of what is going to happen, and I am right in the middle of that.”
Gillett has been seeking an exit strategy since his relationship with Hicks became untenable after a series of run-ins, but while he may be bound by an agreement to offer his stake to his partner before any other potential buyer, it is thought unlikely that Hicks would want to acquire Gillett’s half-share of the club.
Contrary to Hicks’s repeated claims that he does not want to sell, discussions between him and DIC are continuing and although he intends to retain some of his shares and influence in the short term, the Texan, along with Gillett, is willing to grant the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government access to Liverpool’s accounts, with a view to a possible takeover bid next month.
Gerrard hit out this week at the “damaging” rifts at boardroom level and the Liverpool captain’s remarks are clearly shared by BenÍtez, even if the manager was careful not to antagonise the Americans, with whom he has endured a difficult relationship.
BenÍtez sympathises with Gerrard’s frustration at Liverpool’s continuing inability to mount a credible title charge. “Everyone at Liverpool shares Steven’s sentiments, there is no question about that,” the Spaniard said. “We wanted to be further up the table and the fact that we are not is a disappointment to everyone. But the important thing now is to concentrate on what we can still do.
“We are still in the Champions League and our record in that competition is one that most other clubs would envy. And we are still confident of finishing in the top four, which would obviously mean we would qualify for next season’s Champions League again.”
Carragher’s brush with the law was another headline that the club could have done without. The former England defender was questioned by police yesterday after a roadside confrontation with a man near his home in Crosby on Tuesday morning. Carragher, 30, had been on his way to training at the club’s Melwood headquarters at the time.
The incident was reported to Merseyside Police by a witness who saw Carragher arguing with the man, who also reported the incident to officers. The defender was called in for an interview and accepted a caution, which is an admission of guilt. A spokesman for Liverpool declined to comment.
Problems pile up for Liverpool as owners’ rift deepens | Liverpool - Times Online
