Rafael Benitez has sued for peace in his long-running feud with Jose Mourinho, insisting he will gladly shake the Chelsea man-ager's hand at the end of Liverpool's match at Chelsea tomorrow.
But the diplomatic gesture will not prevent the Liverpool manager from doing his utmost to upset Mourinho in a match Liverpool badly need to take something from after a stuttering start to the season.
With Manchester United kicking off against Arsenal half an hour after hostilities have ended at Stamford Bridge, the balance of power in what has the potential to be the most intriguing Premiership title battle in years should be much clearer by tomorrow night.
It will also be clear whether Mourinho has accepted Benitez's offer to draw a line under the unseemly spat between the two managers which resulted in them failing to shake hands at the end of either last year's FA Cup semi-final or the Community Shield last month.
The Iberian feud dates back to Liverpool's defeat of Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi-final, with the help of a controversial goal by Luis Garcia at Anfield.
Mourinho, it seems, has been unable to forgive Benitez for wrecking his chance of claiming back-to-back European Cup triumphs with different teams following his 2004 victory with Porto, and has been sniping at the Liverpool boss ever since.
Relations were not helped when Jose Reina was sent off at Stamford Bridge after Arjen Robben theatrically fell to the ground in response to a featherweight touch from the Liverpool goalkeeper, prompting Benitez to brand Mourinho's Dutch winger a cheat.
Now however, the Spaniard insists he wants to create a more amicable relationship.
"For me it is time to finish with this situation," said Benitez. "At the end of the game I will wait and see if he offers his hand. If he does then I'll shake it."
After a traumatic 3-0 hammering from local rivals Everton last weekend, Liverpool appeared to have rediscovered their defensive solidity in a goalless Champions League draw at PSV Eindhoven in midweek.
But recent history suggests a Chelsea victory at Stamford Bridge, where Mourinho has yet to lose a league match, could be beyond them.
RSS