LIVERPOOL: New Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said yesterday that securing the future of England internationals Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard was one of his top priorities after taking over at Anfield.
Benitez, who has signed a five-year contract as Gerard Houllier's successor after leaving Spanish champions Valencia, will hold talks with Owen and captain Gerrard once their involvement in Euro 2004 is over.
"I need players like them, with good mentality and quality. They are very important to us," he said.
Gerrard has been linked with a move to Chelsea, while Owen, whose current deal finishes at the end of next season, is yet to sign a new contract.
However, the pair were consulted over the appointment of Benitez and the 44-year-old Spaniard is keen to keep the English core of the side together.
"We need to have a very good team, with the very good players we have here at the moment," Benitez added.
Liverpool, who last won the English championship in 1990, sacked Houllier last month after failing to seriously compete for the league title during his six years in charge. They finished fourth in the Premiership last season, 30 points behind champions Arsenal and well adrift of Chelsea and Manchester United.
Benitez said it would be hard to close the gap on those three sides in his first season, but he was ready for a new challenge after winning two Spanish league titles in three years with Valencia, as well as the UEFA Cup last season.
"I want the supporters to be proud of the team, the manager, the players and the club. We need to work well and at the end we will win," he said.
TOTTI INCIDENT: Francesco Totti, the player Italy have built their Euro 2004 team around, is expected to receive a hefty suspension after being accused of spitting at Denmark's Christian Poulsen in Monday's 0-0 draw.
UEFA has charged Totti with "gross unsporting conduct" following a complaint from the Danish Football Association (DBU). The Roma striker's fate will be determined at a UEFA disciplinary committee hearing today.
A spokesman for the Italian Football Federation said that Totti would attend the hearing and that two of the federation's lawyers would assist him with his case.
If found guilty the Roman could be forced to sit out several matches and, if UEFA takes a hard line, could even be banned for the rest of the competition.
The DBU said in a statement that "Totti on several occasions, unprovoked, spat in Poulsen's face. That is now clearly proved by television footage and still pictures from the match," said the DBU, adding that UEFA had already talked to Poulsen about the incident.
Television images broadcast by Italy's RAI network showed Totti clearly spitting in the face of midfielder Poulsen.
In the most recent similar case in European competition, Lazio Sinisa Mihajlovic was banned for eight games after spitting at Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu in a Champions League match in November.
