Nicolas Anelka has launched a blistering attack on Gerard Houllier, claiming the Liverpool boss was too frightened of his reputation to sign him.
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But he has aimed an angry blast at Houllier, accusing the Frenchman of promising to make his loan move permanent then backing out to swoop for Senegalese World Cup star El Hadji Diouf instead.
Anelka said: "Nothing had ever gone wrong between us, but I think he was imagining future problems, and he imagined the worst, which was a shame.
"I honestly think an English coach would have signed me, but because he was French, he had too many preconceived ideas about me and so didn't want to sign me.
"I was happy at Arsenal with Arsene Wenger, but then he's a different type of Frenchman.
"It was portrayed in the media as a real shock when the news came that I hadn't signed, but to me it was not a surprise at all.
"Normally when a coach wants you, he wants to get on with it and sign you immediately. But with Liverpool it was wait, wait wait, until finally it was 'no'.
"It would have been easier to say no straight away, instead of saying yes to Paris St Germain then changing his mind.
"There were stories that I had stood up to Gerard Houllier and that he didn't like it. But that was wrong, because nothing ever happened between us.
"For me, Liverpool went very well. Everybody wanted me to stay - the players, the coaches Phil Thompson and Sammy Lee, the fans, the chairman. Everyone except Gerard Houllier, and he made the decision not to keep me."
The 23-year-old striker, who scored in Wednesday night's pre-season friendly against Bury, quit Arsenal three years ago despite Wenger's best efforts to keep him and amid rumours that he was a disruptive influence in the Arsenal dressing-room.
He moved to Real Madrid for a staggering £23.4million but quit for Paris St Germain in 2000 after criticising the Spanish club's style of play.
When supporters turned against him in France Anelka moved again, this time for a loan spell on Merseyside in December 2001.
The move appeared to give the player a chance to force his way into the French World Cup squad and to give Houllier more striking options.
But he was left out of the France squad, grew frustrated on the Anfield bench and even hinted at a move back to Arsenal at one stage.
Yet he slammed the bad-boy tag which has dogged him throughout his career and insisted Houllier had nothing to worry about. Speaking in the September edition of Four Four Two magazine, he added: "I don't mind my reputation because I know it's not true. Anyone who makes the effort to know me will tell you what I'm really like.
"I've never had a red card, never hurt anybody on the pitch. I don't understand why I have a bad-boy image."
Two of Anelka's former clubs are set to collide in the first game of a four-team tournament in Madrid.
Houllier may start Michael Owen for Liverpool against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium.
He said: "Michael trained but we want to be cautious because of the injury he suffered in the World Cup.
"I don't think Jamie Carragher will take part, but Michael won't be far from getting involved and that's about it," added Houllier.
Steven Gerrard took a full part in training and appeared to be untroubled by the groin injury which prevented him playing in the World Cup.
Liverpool and Real will open the glamourous event, which also features AC Milan and Bayern Munich and stretches over the next three days to celebrate Real's centenary.
Houllier added: "Real are probably the best team in the world over the last five or six years, they have won three Champions Leagues and always managed to get to the quarter or semi-finals. Their strength and consistency are top level," he said.
Real will probably line up without many of their internationals, who have just returned to training after the World Cup.
Bayern's England star Owen Hargreaves will make his comeback from injury against Liverpool on Sunday, and last night he revealed his "deep frustration" after missing out on what would have been the biggest night of his life.
Hargreaves has not kicked a ball in anger since hobbling off in the opening minutes of England's magnificent World Cup victory over Argentina.
He said: "The World Cup was one of the best and worst experiences of my career.
"To force my way into the starting line-up was fantastic and once I'd done that to be part of the team to play Argentina in a World Cup is something no player would ever forget. But for me then to miss out on the celebrations was hard.
"Going to the World Cup has definitely made me a better player, but the Bayern players have not stopped reminding me just how well Germany did in the World Cup."
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