Benitez rubbishes rift with Mourinho

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has extended an olive branch to Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho ahead of their Premiership meeting on Sunday.

The relationship between the pair has strained since Liverpool defeated Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final two years ago.

It further deteriorated last season, most notably when Jose Reina was sent off for pushing Arjen Robben after a theatrical dive from the Dutchman.

Benitez had previously claimed that Chelsea were "scared" of Liverpool after the two sides drew in the Champions League group stages.

That prompted Mourinho to demand "more respect" after Chelsea went nine points clear at the top of the table by thrashing Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield a few days later.

The frosty relationship was further underlined after Liverpool's victory in this season's Community Shield, after which Benitez neglected to shake Mourinho's hand.

"I was on the pitch from the last whistle until the moment Liverpool received the cup," Mourinho moaned at the time.

Benitez was apparently riled by Mourinho's refusal to greet him before the game, but insists he holds no grudges in advance of this weekend's game.

"We'll go down there and be his guests on Sunday," the Liverpool manager said today.

"At the end of the game I will wait and see if he offers his hand. If he does, then I'll shake it. Not a problem. Normally, when a manager comes to Anfield and comes to see me, I'll welcome him and offer him all the best for the season."

Benitez says the perceived problems between himself and Mourinho is due to outside influences.

"The problem's been that, in the build-up to these games, people are always talking about things that have nothing to do with football," he said.

"Because we talk about this all the time ahead of these matches, I think it's now time to stop speaking about it. If he wants to shake hands, I don't have any problems with that. I will shake his hand. I prefer to talk about football than these small things."  PA