Fulham come back from being 1 - 0 down at Craven Cottage to win 2-1.
Hamburg miss out on playing the finals at their home ground
Fulham come back from being 1 - 0 down at Craven Cottage to win 2-1.
Hamburg miss out on playing the finals at their home ground
Agg. score Liverpool 2 - 2 Athletico Madrid.
Athletico won the 1st leg 1 -0 which leads them through on away Goals.
A crazy match at the DW stadium, where Arsenal leading a relegation battling Wigan Athletic by two goals to nil - somehow managed to loose. It was a crucial match for Arsenal as they needed to put themselves in the mix by winning the game after Chelsea lost at White Hart Lane. However 3 goals in the last 7 minutes from a resilient Wigan side ended Arsenal's search for Premier League glory. Wigan's win keeps them safely 7 points away from the drop zone and end's Arsenal's title challenge...
Just hours after announcing Liverpool football club are officially up for sale, Liverpool have appointed Martin Broughton as their chairman who will work alongside the likes of Christian Purslow and Ian Iyre. His main objective is to ensure the sale of the club to the rightful new owners so that the future of Liverpool Football club remains in safe hands.New Liverpool Chairman Martin Broughton today insisted Reds' fans can look forward to 'a bright new future' at Anfield.
Here is an interview he gave to LFC.tv
"The management team is an excellent management team - Christian Purslow, Philip Nash and Ian Ayre are an excellent management team. They'll basically run the club and I'll run the sale process. But I'll work very closely with Christian on the sale process - he'll be involved in it as well."I think this means a bright new future. It means clarity about the structure, clarity about the ownership, it means investment in the new stadium, it means a club that is set up to be successful in the future."I think this is structured. Someone is coming in specifically with that remit; the advisors are focused on doing that for 100% of the club. It's not the ad hoc process that's been in place so far."My role is to make sure Liverpool is successful in the future. It is now very important that we find the right owner - not just a new owner."I ask for patience from the fans. They want to get what I want to get - not just the highest bidder but the best bidder in the long term."My message to the fans is this: have a little bit of patience and in a little bit of time I'll deliver."Asked about the importance of the new stadium project in the sale of the Club, he replied: "Well I've looked at the stadium project. It's ready to go to tender and frankly there's an overwhelming financial logic for any buyer to proceed with the stadium. Any buyer would be crazy not to proceed with the stadium, it's going to be in its interests... you wouldn't get to be the winning bid without that commitment."
Broughton was today announced as Chairman of the club with a remit to oversee a full sale after Tom Hicks and George Gillett revealed their intentions to bring their three year tenure at Anfield to an end.
"The management team is an excellent management team," he said. "Christian Purslow, Philip Nash and Ian Ayre are an excellent management team. They'll basically run the club and I'll run the sale process. But I'll work very closely with Christian on the sale process - he'll be involved in it as well.
"I think this means a bright new future. It means clarity about the structure, clarity about the ownership, it means investment in the new stadium, it means a club that is set up to be successful in the future.
"I think this is structured. Someone is coming in specifically with that remit; the advisors are focused on doing that for 100% of the club. It's not the ad hoc process that's been in place so far."My role is to make sure Liverpool is successful in the future. It is now very important that we find the right owner - not just a new owner."I ask for patience from the fans. They want to get what I want to get - not just the highest bidder but the best bidder in the long term.
"My message to the fans is this: have a little bit of patience and in a little bit of time I'll deliver."
Asked about the importance of the new stadium project in the sale of the Club,"Well I've looked at the stadium project. It's ready to go to tender and frankly there's an overwhelming financial logic for any buyer to proceed with the stadium. Any buyer would be crazy not to proceed with the stadium, it's going to be in its interests... you wouldn't get to be the winning bid without that commitment."
Broughton also insists finances will be made available for the manager to strengthen the squad.
"Well there'll be money available for transfers but obviously I'm not going to go into how much," he said. "The key point is that this will make a difference. It will clarify the ownership position going forwards. And I think what's been hanging over the club in many ways is doubts about the ownership, the debt position etc. This will clarify that, so it will be a very good thing for the club."
"I'm a sports fan and a very keen football fan. Football is a passion. Liverpool is an institution in the English Premier League, it's a key part of the English Premier League."It's been a great club, it can continue to be a great club and it needs to be a great club. And that's what I'm committed to making it."
Persistent protests from the fans of Liverpool FC and their supporters' union - Spirit of Shankly - have paid off. Co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett this morning formally put Liverpool up for sale. Meanwhile, the club have appointed Martin Broughtin, the chairman of British Airways, to the same role at Anfield and have charged him with the responsibility of finding a buyer for the club.
Syrian international businessman Yahya Kirdi is reportedly in talks with Hicks and Gillett over the possibility of buying the Anfield-based outfit. Any further developments will be brought to you as and when they happen.
The 4 -1 win over Benfica had all the positives required for what has been a disastrous campaign - one with not much to celebrate if you are a Liverpool supporter. Yes the performace on the pitch was good - but more evidently the one off it was outstanding - George Gillet and Tom Hicks were seen - together - at Anfield - after 6 months.
Cristian Purslow, Liverpool's managing director has been scouring the globe for potential investors in the past few months. And the news developing off the field is interesting.
It was only last week that Hicks and Gillet turned down an offer from the Rhone Group - a mid-equity firm, an offer to reduce the clubs debt of £237m by £100m in exchange for 40% stake. Now July is the RBS's deadline to reduce the debt.
If recent reports are to be believed Hicks and Gillet are ready to step down as co-chaiman and appoint British Airway chairman Martin Broughton - a business heavyweight who has previously British Horse Racing Board , British American Tobacco and Confederation of British industry - and has been a life long Chelsea fan!Hicks and Gillet were previously thought to retaining some shares in LFC but now are believed to cash in.They are ready to sell the club at the right price - believed to be about £600m. Although we believe they would be ready to sell for a lower price.
The American duo have hired investment capital Barclays Bank to find potential suitors.
More developments are expected to occur in the week to come...
