Rafa Benitez did it – he signed for Everton, Liverpool’s arch rivals and will lead the Toffies as their head coach for the next three years! The Spaniard now becomes the first man to have managed both Liverpool and Everton since William Barclay in 1892 (19th century).After a 30 days long period of search and negotiations, Everton owner settled on Benitez, defying the fan base, who are against the former Liverpool manager, and for a reason. Benitez brought four trophies to the ‘other club’ in Liverpool, including the FA Cup in 2006 and the famous Champions league in 2005, after a thriller match in Istanbul against Milan, whose coach back then was the man Benitez is now replacing – Carlo Ancelotti.“Rafa impressed us greatly with his knowledge and experience but, above all, the passion and hunger he showed to join our club. We are appointing Rafa because we believe he will bring success to our club and to Evertonians. To put it simply – we need to be competing at the top-end of the league and to be winning trophies. Rafa is a proven winner with huge experience in coaching internationally and we have secured the best man to achieve that for us” Moshiri said after the signing.There’s no betrayal like the one coming from the closest oneEverton fans are still remembering that Benitez called them a “small club” after a goalless derby at Anfield in February 2007. Benitez insisted he made “a mistake” and he was referring to the approach of David Moyes’ team rather than Everton as a club, but his remarks have not been forgotten. He will now have a tough task of winning the fan base who already showed signs of aggression toward the Spaniard, who signed a three year deal and will earn around 2.2 billion Ksh a year. An image was circulated on social media showing a white bedsheet with the message to Rafa: “We know where you live. Don’t sign”.And Benitez was full of praise for his new club, stating ambition as the main word.“You can see the ambition is there. This club is growing. For me, it is about bringing the winning mentality, being competitive, so everything is in place on the pitch and off the pitch. I love the passion of the people behind the Club. I know the city, I know Scousers, I know what it means for every fan here to compete and to have the chance to win. To come to Everton is something that means a lot, for sure. You can see the ambition of the owner, of the Board, everybody wants to be better and to go to the new stadium with a massive boost. I like to compete. I like to win. I came from the academy at Real Madrid as a young player and coach, and the winning mentality is already there. Myself and my coaching staff have won 13 titles because we have this mentality and I still want to win. And I have come to Everton because I liked the idea to be competitive again – and to have the chance to compete in every game, to compete against anyone” said Benitez to Evertontv.Things that will be going in the bin tomorrow. #lfc #benitez pic.twitter.com/LMmafycj37— Spencer Evans* (@Spena1975) June 29, 2021 But why he signed for Liverpool’s biggest rivals, risking fan rage on both sides? Rafa likes Premier League, ambition and the city of Liverpool. He already stated this numerous times, and while he is aware he won’t get another change at the biggest clubs like Liverpool and both Manchester clubs, he has no problem working with mid-sized clubs with a potential to grow and decent financial possibilities. That’s why he signed for Newcastle in 2016, but was wrong that his arrival will change the owner’s stance on spending big in the transfer market.It’s really happening….why Rafa? Why? #Benitez #Liverpool #LFC https://t.co/DZxqF7DCxJ— Liverpoolzy* (@Liverpool_zy) June 30, 2021 Rafa also likes the city of Liverpool, as his wife and daughters stayed close by, in the Wirral, while Benitez was coaching in Italy (Inter, Napoli), Spain (Real Madrid) and China (Dalian). They have deep roots in the community, as his wife is called ‘The Angel of Kindness’ after supporting local charities, including paying for more than 30 children to go to Disneyland. Rafa even describes his daughters as “Scousers”. So for him to sign for a Liverpool based club with an ambition was a no-brainer, he obviously didn’t think so much about the fan reaction. He will need a lot of time to win the fan-base of Everton. He lost the Liverpool fans forever.
