Porto boss ignores Reds’ row

PORTO COACH Jesualdo Ferreira insists he has no interest or knowledge of Liverpool’s current problems and intends to ensure the Portuguese champions’ passage into the last 16.

The fact that Porto can clinch qualification from Group A while extending their unbeaten record this season in domestic and Champions League football has been somewhat lost in the uproar surrounding Rafael Benitez’s war of words with the club’s American owners.

Ferreira, 61, said: “I hear that Liverpool and their manager are having a difficult time. But I know nothing of that. What I do know is that he is a professional and I do not believe it will stop Liverpool playing to their best in their own quest to qualify.

“But if we continue to play as well as we have been, we will achieve our best level and then I know we can beat anybody.

“I know that Porto have never won a game in England, losing eight of the nine we have played. But this time I want us to end that, to win our first game, and we know we can do that.

“When this draw was made and we saw how difficult this week could be with us at Benfica at the weekend after the trip to Liverpool, we were fearful that things would be hard.

“But that was three months ago, we are now much stronger than I expected and we feel we can remain unbeaten.”

He added: “We know that Liverpool are solid, well balanced and fast in attack. But we have the players capable of overcoming that.”

Key midfielder Ricardo Quaresma added: “We know we are playing well and have great qualities, we have already shown we can beat anyone.

“We do not fear the Anfield crowd. We have been to Turkey and won at Besiktas where their support is ferocious. If we can do that, Liverpool will not be any harder.”