Baros seeks reassurance from Benitez

Czech Republic striker Milan Baros wants first-team football at Liverpool next season – or he may move on.

Baros is keen to speak to new Reds manager Rafael Benitez about his future after seeing his stock rise on the European market.

He is almost certain to be crowned as Euro 2004’s top goalscorer after hitting five goals in his five appearances but faces stiff competition from Michael Owen and new signing Djibril Cisse for a place in attack.

Baros never managed to establish himself under Benitez’s predecessor Gerard Houllier and wants to know where he figures in the Spaniard’s plans after the Czechs were eliminated from the tournament by Greece last night.

“First I am going to have a holiday and then I have to speak to the boss,” Baros said.

“It is a big squad at Liverpool and I like the club and I really like the fans too but I want to play.

“That’s the most important thing. We will see what happens but I don’t want to speak about it anymore.”

Baros was virtually shut out of the semi-final by Greece defender Georgios Seitaridis, who did a limpet-like man-marking job on the 23-year-old before another Greek defender Traianos Dellas scored the silver goal that put the surprise packages into Sunday’s final with Portugal.

Despite that, Baros returns to England with his reputation strengthened, and Benitez must decide how to make best use of him, Owen and £14.5m (€21.6m) capture Cisse.

Senegal international El-Hadji Diouf and French youngsters Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec provide other striking alternatives for Benitez, who may also want to bring in new players to shape the team in his own image.

For now though, Baros and his Czech team-mates will spend a few days wondering what went wrong as the expected Bohemian Rhapsody at the Dragao Stadium did not materialise.

Dellas’ header, although technically a silver goal, was more of a golden goal as Italian referee Pierluigi Collina blew for time before the game could be resumed.

Baros added: “Maybe in a few days I will be happy to have been the tournament’s top scorer but that’s not the way I feel at the moment.

“At the moment all I can think about is the game with Greece because we are disappointed not to be playing in the final.

“It’s difficult to describe the feeling – we were so close to getting to the final but we have to go home now.

“What we needed tonight was luck,” he said.

“In the first four games we did have some luck but not tonight – we hit the crossbar and created some chances but unfortunately we missed them.”

The first-half injury to Pavel Nedved, which ended the European Footballer of the Year’s involvement in the tournament, was another big blow to the Czechs.

“Pavel is a great player and it was a blow to lose him but I thought (Vladimir) Smicer did very well in his place,” said Baros.

Tomas Rosicky hit the crossbar in the first half and Marek Jankulovski forced two good saves from Antonios Nikopolidis and the Czechs also dominated the second period with Jan Koller and Baros both spurning chances.

Then came extra-time and suddenly Greece started to get on top before Dellas struck what proved to be the coup de grace for the Czechs, who until last night’s defeat were the only side who had won all their matches in the tournament and had assumed the mantle of favourites.