UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:DOUBTS AND rumours will persist around Rafael Benitez's position at Liverpool until the moment he signs a new contract or announces that he never will. The claim that players are no longer committed to his cause, however, one of many doing the rounds in Madrid on Wednesday, was dispelled in word and deed at the Bernabeu. "I am sure if you asked all the players if they wanted Rafa to stay with us," Albert Riera said, "100 per cent would say yes."

If there are Liverpool players annoyed that their manager’s contract is overshadowing a critical stage of the season then they would have every right to be so. Not even becoming only the second English team to triumph at the Bernabeu in the Champions League could draw focus away from the implications for Benitez and onto the collective effort afterwards. But their faith in the Spaniard’s methods provokes no debate, as Liverpool’s organisation and execution testified against Real.

“Rafa is doing a great job. We are a top side and he has got us playing at this level,” said the Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. “We have shown it against Barcelona and Inter last season and now Real Madrid. Obviously I am delighted he has said he is staying. I haven’t spoken to him about his situation but Liverpool are doing a great job in the Champions League and Premier League and he is the main reason for that.”

Mascherano added: “It is hard to explain exactly how much he means and how much he has done for me. When I came to Liverpool I did not have any confidence left because I hadn’t been playing at all for West Ham. But now I find that I am always calm when I am playing because he has put such trust in me. All I can say to Rafa is thank you.”

The latest negotiations between Benitez’s advisors and lawyers acting for Tom Hicks and George Gillett took place on Wednesday, prior to the game, but the manager’s post-match assertion that “I am staying” still requires substance in writing.

“My lawyers and advisors have been talking to the club’s owners over the past few days about the contract and I believe that problems we have can be overcome,” said Benitez.

“I was very surprised to hear rumours that I was going to resign. I can assure you that I have not been considering such a move, and it was a shock to hear such suggestions.

“It needs to be clear that I was not thinking of resigning. My aim is to keep working and winning and to tell the owners that on the pitch.”

Benitez has been locked in talks with the owners over a new four-year deal for several weeks. And he strenuously refuted claims he was considering his position, reiterating he is happy at the club.

“I expect talks to continue between my lawyers, my advisors, myself and the owners,” added Benitez. “I am really pleased with my position at the club, I have not been thinking about resigning.

“My aim is to win every game that is possible for this club, and my advisors will continue to talk. We will see what happens then. We are still talking, so we will see what happens in the future.

“I was not thinking about resigning, obviously I cannot control other things that I could be fired, but I was just concentrating on the game. The club has made it clear this rumour was not true. That is important for everyone. Stability is the key if you want to be successful. And the players were able to do their talking on the pitch, not beforehand.”

Benitez was thrilled with Wednesday night’s victory: “This was a very important victory,” he said. “Particularly as we did not have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres was troubled by an ankle injury from the first minute.

“But we were able to play them on the counter-attack. We knew how Real play and we were able to organise our tactics accordingly.”

Fernando Torres, meanwhile, underwent treatment yesterday for an ankle injury he suffered in the opening minutes against Real. The Spanish international left the Bernabeu with his foot in a protective boot, having been withdrawn after 62 minutes, and is expected to miss tomorrow’s Premier League visit to Middlesbrough and is a doubt for the home meeting with Sunderland on Tuesday. The exact length of his absence should be confirmed today.

Liverpool have the chance to close the gap on league leaders Manchester United to just one point on Saturday as the champions are not in action again until Wednesday when they travel to Newcastle. Benitez believes Gerrard could start the game following the hamstring injury that restricted his involvement against Real to the last few minutes.

• Guardian Service