Is Benitez Leaving? And When Did We Start Getting Our News From the Bookies?

Do you ever get the feeling that gambling and football have their hands in each others pants a little too regularly? Well maybe this will convince you. There’s a story going around that Rafa Benitez will be out the Liverpool exit door before the weekend gets here.

Where did this story come from? Did Rafa say he was leaving? No.

Did the Liverpool owners say Rafa was leaving? No.

Was there heavy betting action on Benitez leaving – enough for both William Hill and SkyBet to stop taking bets on it happening? Yes.

And that’s where the <sarcasm>news</sarcasm> about Rafa leaving comes from. Is it me or is that a bit wrong?

EPL Talk have quoted a William Hill spokesman as saying:

“We have been informed by a source that the deadline for Benitez to sign his new contract has passed and he will be removed from his post by the weekend. There have been too many calls to us for it to be just a rumour”

I won’t deny that betting activity is a strong indicator that something could happen. But it could also just be a snowball effect, where someone convinced someone, who convinced someone else, and all of a sudden everyone is betting on Benitez to go.

With Liverpool out of the FA Cup and Carling Cup and watching Man Utd disappear with the Prem, there’s really only the Champions League to play for. But there’s no way he’s leaving mid-season.

So I’m off to lay my own bet: on Rafa Benitez negotiating a new part-time contract with Liverpool, where he only works in the Champions League.

	Soccer Forums	Team/International Results

Category: World Football

Tags: bookies, leaving, Liverpool, Rafa Benitez, William Hill, World Football

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