Pellegrino rejoins Liverpool as first-team coach

Former Liverpool defender Mauricio Pellegrino has re-joined the club as
first-team coach.

The 36-year-old Argentinian, who played 12 times for the Reds in 2005, has
been working as a youth team coach at Valencia but will now return to
Merseyside to join the backroom team that also has Sammy Lee recently
installed as assistant manager.

Boss Rafael Benitez said of Pellegrino: 'His role will be first-team coach,
and he will also carry out specialist training sessions. He can also work
specifically with the defence, and also the reserves.'

He added: 'Pellegrino has a winning mentality. He won the Inter-continental
Cup before going to Spain with Barcelona and Valencia.

'He has a lot of passion. When I asked him to come he was very pleased, but
first he wanted to find out if there was a school where his three children
could play good football. He is a football man.'

Meanwhile, Benitez has spoken of his pride in Fernando Torres' Euro 2008
triumph after he scored the winner for his country against Germany in
Sunday's final.

The manager was quick to praise record signing Torres, who suffered some
heavy criticism from the Spanish media during the tournament.

'I am very proud of Fernando, especially after he has been criticised from
some journalists in Spain,' Benitez said.

'Everyone in Spain remembers the Marcelino goal from 44 years ago (when
Spain were last European champions), and the last final Spain were in was
24 years ago.

'Now people will talk about Torres in the same way, I am very proud of him
and what he has achieved.'

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=552817&sec=england&cc=5901