Our Players On £100K+ Bonus For Securing No 6

[RafaShanks]

Liverpool dangle £2.5m final bonus

 

By JOHN EDWARDS

 

Last updated at 09:00am on 9th May 2007

 

Steven Gerrard and his Liverpool team-mates are heading for a £2.5million windfall if they can overcome AC Milan in the Champions League final for the second time in three seasons.

 

Liverpool face the Italians in Athens on May 23 knowing they are rated rank outsiders to repeat their Istanbul heroics of two years ago, when they won a penalty shoot-out after trailing 3-0 at half-time to be European champions for a fifth time.

 

Liverpool?s board have offered the players a bonus well in excess of £100,000 per man to make it six.

 

Anyone who has played a part this season is eligible and manager Rafa Benitez?s rotation policy means the total pot looks like being around £2.5m.

 

It is understood the incentive scheme was drawn up at the start of the season rather than in the wake of new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett taking over two months ago.

 

But they are believed to be firmly in favour of it and may devise an even more lucrative package for next season.

 

As he considered his options for the final, Benitez was quick to dismiss any misgivings over Xabi Alonso?s surprise absence from the starting line-up for the semi-final return leg against Chelsea at Anfield.

 

Barcelona are still interested in signing the Spain midfielder for next season, but Benitez stressed the player remains an integral part of his plans and seems certain to start the final alongside Gerrard and Javier Mascherano.

 

Benitez said: "The players know me and appreciate that if I change one or two of them it doesn?t mean I am disappointed with them.

 

"We will play 60 games next season and need a lot of good players. All the players must be a bit disappointed if they don?t play. I would expect that.

 

"But they need to have respect for their team-mates and look at the wider picture. I?m sure that will be the case with Xabi."

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1779

 

Apologies if this is a Romario, but only just seen this.

 

Lucky b******s. Thank feck our players aren't in it for the money...

[Barnesy_10]

Anyone who has played a part this season is eligible and manager Rafa Benitez?s rotation policy means the total pot looks like being around £2.5m.

 

 

 

That include the fans?

[Kite]

Don't really understand that at all really. I mean, is a bigger cheque that week really going to make you try that little bit more to win? Against AC Milan. In a Champions League final? In front of the best fans in the world?

 

Personally, if I was manager and I thought that was true of a player, I'd sack the f***** ...

[Cobs]

i guess that's why they call it a 'bonus'

[allez les rouges]

In front of the best fans in the world?

 

Personally, if I was manager and I thought that was true of a player, I'd sack the f***** ...

 

like who? non us will be there.

 

b*****d ballot

[Chili Palmer]

If they win it, fair play to them. It will bring me so much happiness I don't care how much it earns them!

[live]

players should be motivated enough for the game, but the extra money doesn't hurt things. if the club gets a 30M lb windfall similar to 2005, giving 2.5M and change doesn't seem too bad. think a couple of the kids played against PSV, at least paletta did for a few mins - he's got to be estastic!

[RafaShanks]

That include the fans?

 

I've just e-mailed Rick.

[Rimbeux]

They're pros, they get paid a basic wage, they hit targets, they get a bonus, nothing wrong with that, fuss over nothing

[psl]

Are we really 'rank outsiders'?

[floyd]

Are we really 'rank outsiders'?

some bookies had us favourites, before the press started to be blinded by the result milan gave the Mancs. Bit like when the Mancs had a fluke result against Roma

Edited May 9, 2007 by floyd

[growler]

is that a 100k to the fans on the kop, the 12th man?