[lfc-news] Rafa's first AGM speech in full - Official Site

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Official LFC Website, 3 Dec 2004
RAFAEL BENITEZ'S FIRST AGM SPEECH IN FULL
By Paul Eaton

For the first time since arriving at Anfield manager Rafael Benitez
addressed the club's shareholders during last night's AGM. Here's his
speech in its entirety.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Although I've been in Liverpool now for
nearly six months, this is my first opportunity to speak to the
shareholders. To start with, I want to thank you for the way you have made
me, my family and staff feel so welcome since we arrived in England.

"Liverpool is one of the great names of European football and I saw how
special Anfield was during my visits here with Valencia. But to actually
stand on the touchline as Liverpool manager and hear the fans behind your
team is a fantastic experience. I'm proud and privileged to be working here
and want to say a few words on why I came to Liverpool and my plans for the
future.

"I enjoyed some great successes with Valencia over the past three years and
have many happy memories. But Liverpool is a huge club with fantastic
support and I was excited by the challenge of bringing back honours to
Anfield. I was aware of the reputation of the club, but that was an
inspiration, not a burden to me.
Great things have been achieved here in the past and I'm hungry to repeat
that in the future. I feel confident we can, because the stable structure
of the club allows me to focus on football.

"When I was first able to sit down with David Moores and Rick Parry to
discuss the job, I understood these were responsible people undertaking a
serious project. We spoke honestly about the size of the challenge we faced
and the resources at our disposal. Both the strength of the squad and the
financial realities we would be operating under.

"But what has struck me as a Spanish manager operating in England is how
everyone at the club respects you and supports you. They always want the
best for you and the team. The kind of people I am now working with at
Liverpool - from the Chairman and Board of Directors down - give me total
confidence in this new project I have undertaken.This club exists to win
trophies. It's what the great managers here have done before me and I'm
determined to do the same. The target is obviously the Premier League
title, but I am not going to make promises about timescales.

"My idea is to prepare the squad to win trophies and play good football.
That means instilling a winning mentality. That will be the foundation
stone for the future progress we make. It is easy when you win, but we need
to be as strong when we lose. We are fighting against clubs with greater
resources than us, so we need everyone - the Board, the staff, the players
and the supporters to be fighting together.

"Our target is always to win the next game and worry about the League table
at the end of the season. We know what we have to do and how we intend to
do it and I am confident we will achieve success.

"But success does not just come from spending huge amounts of money. Hard
work, proper planning and good coaching are very important. The players
need to understand that they must always play as a team for the good of the
team.

"We also need to ensure that good young players are being developed and
brought through the ranks and I'm pleased so many of them have had the
chance to show what they can do in the Carling Cup this season. I was proud
of them last night at Spurs. We will continue to work closely with Steve
Heighway and his staff at the Academy to make sure the young players have
the best possible chance to succeed.

"Always we want to do things in the right way. The performance against
Arsenal in the first half was a reference point and the atmosphere in the
ground incredible. When you do things right, then everyone connected to the
club - those who work here and the supporters everywhere are happy.

"I understand the level of expectation here and fully accept it. I wouldn't
want it any other way, which is why I am here for the long term. It will
take time and patience will be needed, but I believe we have already made
progress this season. However, our work has only just begun.

"Thank you for your support."


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