rafael benitez manager
Rafa Benitez has revealed he took on the responsibility of becoming Everton manager becaue of his ‘affection for the city’. The Spaniard was sacked by the Blues in January after a dismal run of form which slowly saw the side dragged into a relegation battle despite a promising start to the season. Benitez’s appointment was questioned by many fans when first announced due to his past connections with Liverpool, and the 62-year-old has now explained why he accepted this job offer in the first place.
Rafa Benitez said: “I took Everton because I had a lot of Blues friends who wanted an experienced manager to put right a lot of the things they knew weren’t, and aren’t, right in there. Liverpool fans understand it was a professional and personal decision because of my affection for the city. Most understood that. It wasn’t as if I had signed for United, for example. But the Everton project stayed there: there was no investment, and we had a lot of injuries. We lost the backbone of the team and some crucial points. Still, we were six points clear of relegation with two games in hand.”
