Rafa: We need five new players

Rafael Benítez admitted Liverpool's late exit from the Europa League was symptomatic of their dispiriting season and that the club requires major rebuilding this summer to restore its position among the Premier League elite.

Liverpool's hopes of salvaging the campaign with a first trophy in four years were shattered by the former Manchester United striker, Diego Forlán, who scored a critical away goal for Atlético Madrid in extra-time after Alberto Aquilani then Yossi Benayoun also in extra-time had placed Benítez's team on the brink of an all-English final against Fulham. It was the first time Liverpool had failed to overturn a one-goal deficit in a European semi-final at Anfield.

"That sums up our season," said the Liverpool manager. "It is a season where everything has been against us but at least tonight you could see the players working so hard and you have to be proud. This season has not been good enough so we have to concentrate on our next two games and be ready for next year. We have had too many problems this season.

"It was a good game and we were on top for a long time. It is a pity. To concede a goal like that on the counter-attack was a shame. We never thought we were through. We knew we had to keep working because they could score but it was a pity the way they scored. We knew they played on the counter-attack but we didn't deal with the second ball. Atlético were up for the game. They showed a lot of desire and worked extremely hard."

Benítez had to call on young and inexperienced substitutes Nabil El Zhar, Daniel Pacheco and Philipp Degen in his attempts to win the game and qualify for the Hamburg final, a roll-call he accepted was indicative of the spending policy under owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in recent years.

He added: "The situation has changed in the last two or three years. We are a company now and have had to balance the books. We have had to manage in this way. I don't know what will happen in the summer. We have two more games and then we will see what happens. A few players have said we need three, four or five players this summer and I agree with them. This is what we need to do. It's clear we had some problems tonight. David Ngog was on the bench but wasn't 100%. We have had to manage injuries and problems and we lacked offensive players but we brought on El Zhar, Degen and Pacheco and we tried to do something different."

With speculation rife in Italy that Benítez is close to accepting an offer to join Juventus this summer, the Liverpool manager again refused to commit his future to Anfield. "The future is Chelsea now," he said. "Then Hull."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.