Keeping Owen was Benitez's first "defeat" since he came to Liverpool. Yesterday, Owen underwent a physical examination in Madrid, and Owen also made an official appearance at the Bernabeu. Liverpool has also accepted 8 million pounds plus midfielder Nunez in exchange. At this point, Benitez came forward to clarify that he didn't force Owen away at all, and he didn't want Liverpool's image to be abandoned as soon as he arrived. For this reason, Benitez specially "exposed" the culprit, that is Owen's agent.
Owen's transfer left a little embarrassing taste in Benitez's mouth: "I have to announce the bad news. Owen has really moved to Real Madrid. We have lost this excellent player. I am sorry about this. Owen's departure has really brought us a lot of trouble."
This week, The Sun reported the real inside story that Owen wanted to go to Real Madrid: someone forced Owen to leave. When Owen's departure became a reality, Benitez finally stood up and firmly denied this statement: "Some people say that Owen is not happy at Liverpool and that I don't want him at all. It's sheer nonsense! I like Owen very much and hope he can stay in the team forever. This is the truth. Besides, Owen is the image of Liverpool. Why would I want such a mainstay to leave? "
Benitez's understanding of Owen is not limited to the months he came to Liverpool. The Spaniard admitted that he had watched Owen's game videos many times before he took over the Red Army, and he knew Owen's style very well and appreciated it: "Owen is really excellent, and Liverpool needs him, but some things are beyond the control of the team, the players and even the head coach. I hope everyone can understand one thing: the more famous a player is, the more he can't help himself when choosing a team. In the field of football. Benitez revealed that Owen's contract renewal talks had been going smoothly, but when Real Madrid met with Owen's agent, everything changed: "The problem lies with Owen's agent, who secretly met with Real Madrid, and it was this meeting that made us lose Owen."