GEORGE GILLETT has laughed off talk of a bust-up with Liverpool chief Rafa Benitez.
The Anfield boss was said to be furious at still waiting to see how much money the club’s American owners would give him for a summer spending spree.
There had even been wild suggestions Benitez would quit Merseyside if his transfer war chest was smaller than expected.
Gillett, who bought the club with Tom Hicks for £450million four months ago, said: “I read Rafa is throwing hand grenades and making demands.
"There was supposed to be a tension or disagreement between him and the Gillett and Hicks families.
“Well nothing could be farther from the truth. As far back as February, Rafa laid out a programme for us.
“Each one of our sports businesses has a core concept. You can’t just flop around looking at opportunities here and there, go left, go right.
“It has to be part of an integrated plan. We have one at Liverpool, as we have with the Canadiens ice hockey team, one we understand 100 per cent, believe in and support.
“The plan involves us spending money but it will be part of a plan, not just spending like a drunken sailor.”
Gillett has also revealed his most exciting moment since taking over at Anfield — seeing the Reds book their ticket to the Champions League final by beating Chelsea.
He added: “I think the birth of our children was more worrisome on one hand and more pleasurable on the other. But short of that, it was pretty exciting.
"It was magical, like attending the greatest sports event you ever go to on steroids. Nothing can compare to it.
“In all honesty, the Gillett and Hicks families have to say we’ve been pretty lucky to enjoy this first-season success.
“It’s heady and a lot of fun but it sure would be a mistake for us to try to act like we had anything to do with it.
“This is the work of David Moores, Rick Parry plus Rafa and the players. We were the fortunate beneficiaries of circumstance.”
The Anfield boss was said to be furious at still waiting to see how much money the club’s American owners would give him for a summer spending spree.
There had even been wild suggestions Benitez would quit Merseyside if his transfer war chest was smaller than expected.
Gillett, who bought the club with Tom Hicks for £450million four months ago, said: “I read Rafa is throwing hand grenades and making demands.
"There was supposed to be a tension or disagreement between him and the Gillett and Hicks families.
“Well nothing could be farther from the truth. As far back as February, Rafa laid out a programme for us.
“Each one of our sports businesses has a core concept. You can’t just flop around looking at opportunities here and there, go left, go right.
“It has to be part of an integrated plan. We have one at Liverpool, as we have with the Canadiens ice hockey team, one we understand 100 per cent, believe in and support.
“The plan involves us spending money but it will be part of a plan, not just spending like a drunken sailor.”
Gillett has also revealed his most exciting moment since taking over at Anfield — seeing the Reds book their ticket to the Champions League final by beating Chelsea.
He added: “I think the birth of our children was more worrisome on one hand and more pleasurable on the other. But short of that, it was pretty exciting.
"It was magical, like attending the greatest sports event you ever go to on steroids. Nothing can compare to it.
“In all honesty, the Gillett and Hicks families have to say we’ve been pretty lucky to enjoy this first-season success.
“It’s heady and a lot of fun but it sure would be a mistake for us to try to act like we had anything to do with it.
“This is the work of David Moores, Rick Parry plus Rafa and the players. We were the fortunate beneficiaries of circumstance.”