rafa ne veut pas qu'il y ait d'incidents entre les deux équipes et entre les supporters demain.
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FA Cup semi-finals
Benítez urges calm against Chelsea
Ill-feeling casts shadow over Old Trafford semi Liverpool manager says Reds are closing gap
Dominic Fifield
Friday April 21, 2006
The Guardian
Rafael Benítez has called for calm ahead of tomorrow's potentially explosive FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in an attempt to avoid any repeat of the ugly incidents which have marred the clubs' meetings already this season.
The reigning European and Premiership champions meet at Old Trafford with relations still strained after Michael Essien's horrendous challenge on Dietmar Hamann in December's Champions League group game. Those tensions were heightened in February by José Reina's red card after making minor contact with Arjen Robben's face - the Merseysiders were livid at the Dutchman's perceived theatrics - in the league meeting at Stamford Bridge.
However, Benítez has spoken with his players and urged them against pursuing personal vendettas as he focuses minds on a potential FA Cup final appearance.
"I've been talking to the players about the diving issue and I told them they need to forget about all that and see this as a new game," said Benítez, whose relations with Jose Mourinho have long appeared strained; this is the 10th meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea in 18 months. "I think they understood what I was telling them. It's a new game and it's clear we need to forget that incident. The players have to be cool and calm. They have to see this as another game, another competition and with another referee.
"We don't need to think about the past. We have enough experience to put all that behind us. We are focused on one game, a semi-final. We do not need to use previous incidents as motivation, we are motivated enough. Jose and me, we are different and everybody can see that. But I do not like to talk about other managers. I will just try to improve myself and my team. Nothing else really matters."
Benítez's record against Mourinho's Chelsea is poor, his team's 1-0 aggregate victory in last season's two-leg Champions League semi-final masking the fact that they have lost all five domestic games - four league fixtures and the 2005 Carling Cup final - against the Londoners. While Chelsea's rampaging 4-1 win at Anfield in October remains Liverpool's only home league defeat of this term, Benítez was quick to deny that his players must overcome a psychological barrier if they are to earn a place in Cardiff at Mourinho's expense.
"The experience we have means we do not feel any greater pressure ahead of this game," added the Spaniard, who will have Steven Gerrard available, the captain having recovered from a tight hamstring.
"We are just aiming to win. We approach these games with confidence and that is important. We have closed the gap between us and them this year [from 37 points to 15 currently], you can see that, and we will try to get closer still. I have confidence that we can reach the final.
"These two sides have met a lot in the last two years with trophies at stake and that means the rivalry grows. But that is normal among big clubs who are looking to win silverware. We are closer to Chelsea. The table says that, as it does about Manchester United and Arsenal compared to us, but I only intend to focus on this game, not previous matches or the other team. We'll approach this match with confidence."
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