Rafa Benitez expressed that the team was fully united as they left Liverpool bound for Barcelona today.
Craig Bellamy has been fined two weeks wages after alledgedly wielding a golf club at John Arne Riise, who had committed the ultimate crime of refusing to sing a song on the Karaoke! John Arne’s mum has been defending him in Norwegian papers, saying that her boy John Arne was unhurt but still very upset.
Jerzy Dudek was also fined two weeks wages. Both players are believed to have accepted the fines without question.
Rafa said:
“The reaction of the players was the next day,” he said, when asked whether he expected a positive reaction tonight.
“They apologised and they accepted everything and I think it was really, really good. It was the perfect response. The atmosphere in training has been fantastic and we are ready mentally. For me, it’s finished. They are focused on the game.”
All one big happy family then. Even Dudek, who has probably already played his last game for the reds, admitted it was a ‘betrayal of trust’ in the manager.
If Liverpool want to finally close the door on this matter and keep those pesky newspapers quiet then victory at the Nou Camp tomorrow will be the perfect tonic.