Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez has stepped back from supporting Liverpool counterpart Rafa Benitez.

Benitez has been defended in the past by Martinez, who accused allies of Sir Alex Ferguson of ganging up on the Spaniard.

Lunch with Sir Alex and Sam Allardyce last week may have gone a long way to building bridges with his other Premier League peers, but Martinez took another step towards distancing himself from Benitez by insisting he does not share a special relationship with his fellow Spaniard.

Asked how he gets on with the former Tenerife and Valencia boss, Martinez said: "I don't know him that well. All managers keep in touch and in that respect we have a casual relationship.

"Obviously he is one of the most successful managers that Spanish football has produced but I wouldn't say I have a special relationship with him."