Liverpool

By Jeremy Butler

LIVERPOOL, England, April 11 (Reuters) - Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry received the backing of the Champions League semi-finalists' co-owner George Gillett on Friday after media speculation that his position may be under threat.

British media reported on Thursday that the club's other co-owner, Tom Hicks, had sent Parry a letter calling for him to resign.

"Any decision to remove him would need the approval of the full Liverpool board which, it should be remembered, consists of six people -- myself, Foster (Gillett's 31-year-old son), David Moores, Rick himself, Tom Hicks and Tom junior," Gillett told the Liverpool Echo.

Both Gillett and Parry said they had not seen the letter. Gillett told the Echo that the chief executive, who is in his 10th year at Anfield, had the club's full support.

Parry told Sky Sports News on Friday that the episode had underlined splits between the club's top management.

"No individual, certainly not me, is bigger than the club. The club will be fine but once again it shows there is a little bit of a lack of unity at the top," Parry said.

He added that he would be working as usual.

Hicks and Gillett bought the club in February 2007 for 218.9 million pounds and promised to leave Parry and manager Rafael Benitez to do their jobs.

However, the pair met last November with former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann about him replacing Benitez, although nothing came of the meeting.

Tension then followed between the two American billionaires and Gillett said last month that his relationship with Hicks had broken down.

Takeover negotiations with the Dubai International Capital (DIC), an investment consortium which made a 400 million pounds ($790 million) bid for Liverpool last month, have also broken down, British media reported on Friday.

The uncertainty over the club's future comes at a critical time in the season for Liverpool. The five-times European champions reached the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday, ousting fellow Premier League Arsenal.

"This week I shouldn't be the story, the story should be the team," Parry said.

"It is offensive to the manager, players and fans in a week when we had another great European triumph there is more dirty linen being washed."

They will meet Chelsea in the semi-finals later this month for the third time in four years. Last season, Liverpool lost to AC Milan 2-1 in the final.