Mascherano Blames Lies For Liverpool Exit

Javier Mascherano has accused
Liverpool of making broken
promises which led him to take
a pay cut to join Barcelona.
The 26-year-old responded
angrily to suggestions that the
key motivation in joining the
reigning La Liga champions was
due to his family being largely
unsettled, despite his wife and
children residing in Buenos
Aires for most of his time in
England.
Mascherano, who completed his
protracted £20million move to
the Nou Camp earlier this week,
was omitted from the 3-0
defeat to Manchester City last
week and insists that Liverpool
reneged on a promise that he
could leave the club this
summer.
The Argentina captain claims he
was denied a move to the
Catalan giants 12 months ago
but was told that he would be
allowed to join them should the
Reds receive an acceptable offer
before the transfer window
closed on Tuesday.
He said: "When they started to
involve my family and to say
things that didn't make sense, I
obviously suffered.
"They'd promised me
something for a whole year and
they never fulfilled their
promise. And that didn't have
anything to do with my family
or anything else. When you read
or hear lies, you obviously get
angry."
Barcelona were highly vocal in
their praise of Mascherano for
taking a pay cut on the Â
£70,000-per-week salary he
earned at Anfield and whilst the
player reciprocated the
sentiments, he also paid a
tribute to Inter Milan manager
Rafael Benitez, who signed him
from West Ham.
"Rafa taught me tactics. He's
one of the coaches who have
taught me the most in my
career and I'm very grateful to
him. He was fundamental. He
gave me the chance to join
Liverpool," he added.
"He had confidence in me at a
time when, perhaps, nobody
would have dreamed of giving
me an opportunity. I'll be
grateful to him all my life."