Liverpool FC News: Benitez would not let us do extra training, says Ryan Babel

Nov 25 2010 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Echo

Liverpool FC News: LIVERPOOL winger Ryan Babel has used social networking site Twitter to take a swipe at former boss Rafa Benitez.

The Dutchman claims he was prevented from taking part in extra training sessions under Benitez even when he was left out of the matchday squad.

“Let me tell you something that might surprise you, I wasn’t allowed to train extra under our former manager even when I wasn’t involved,” Babel said.

“I begged lots of times but it was simply not allowed and during the season you don’t train very hard because you have lots games so most sessions we had were without sweating

“But if I wanted to do some extra which I asked for every single day I didn’t have the permission.

“It was confusing of course because you want to get better. I even tried to train extra by doing it sneaky but the assistant manager (Sammy Lee) came to tell me to stop.

“I had to get used to that because in Ajax we were staying for one or two hours longer on the pitch by ourselves.

“That was a amazing time with Huntelaar, Sneijder, Edgar Davids, Kenneth Perez, Emanuelson etc.”

Babel denied he was criticising Benitez’s methods and added: “You are foolish if you think I’m attacking somebody, just telling you how it was.

“You can write a story as long as you don’t change my words. The thing to be a good journalist is to put it right and not make it sound different or ‘worser’”