Gillett invites DIC to semi-final

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has invited senior officials from Dubai International Capital to be his guests at Anfield tomorrow for the Champions League semi-final showdown with Chelsea.

Although Gillett himself will not be able to attend the match because of illness, his party - including son Foster, a fellow director - will be there in force to welcome DIC's representatives.

It is a remarkable move by Gillett — who has wanted to sell his 50 per cent stake in the club to DIC for several  months — and comes just five days after his estranged partner Tom Hicks staged an extravagant PR exercise with a TV interview defiantly outlining his own plans for the future of the club.

But significantly, after Hicks had made it clear he still intended to buy out Gillett, Colorado-based Gillett announced that he had no intention of ever selling his stake to Hicks.

It is believed that DIC's chief negotiator Amanda Staveley will be among Gillett's party, along with Liverpool fan and DIC chief executive Samir Al-Ansari.

Hicks could also be there, although significantly his spokesmen in the UK have been unable to confirm the Dallas billionaire's movements.

Hicks had made it clear at the weekend that he intended to be at Anfield for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final — but there are now doubts that he would want to be in the same directors box as DIC.