Would Rafael Benitez be right to take a tough line on work commitments? Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
One of my favourite moments during a football match is when the PA system announces: "Would Joe Bloggs please return home immediately as his wife has just given birth." I love my football, but my wife would have never forgiven me had I missed the birth of any of our three kids.
So I have some sympathy with Liverpool's Xabi Alonso who missed last night's big Champions League tie with Inter Milan because his girlfriend was about to give birth.
Apparently this hasn't pleased Alonso's boss, Rafael Benitez, a manager who takes his job so seriously that he chose to stay in Japan when his father died during the Club World Championship tournament two years ago.
Should footballers be denied the same rights, privileges or concessions that we might expect in our workplace? Or do you think parents and parents-to-be are cut too much slack? Have you been dumped on because a colleague wanted to attend to parental duties in office hours?
Vote in our poll and give us your views.
