Everton are reportedly interested in hiring Rafa Benitez, who took Newcastle United to tenth in the Premier League. But he is a Liverpool legend.
Rafa Benitez has never hid his adoration for Liverpool or his views about the Reds’ Merseyside rivals Everton for that matter.
Unhappy with David Moyes’ pragmatic tactics in a 2007 derby clash between Liverpool and Everton, Benitez induced fury on the blue half of Stanley Park by describing the Toffees as a ‘small club’, even if he did backtrack later on and claim that was more a reaction to their unambitious style of play rather than the club’s standing in the English game.
So it has always seemed unlikely that Benitez, who was visibly emotional when his Newcastle side travelled to Liverpool last season, would ever return to Merseyside as manager of their next door neighbours.
And the Liverpool fans have been keen to remind their Everton counterparts of precisely this amid reports in the Chronicle that Farhad Moshiri has identified Benitez as a possible successor to Sam Allardyce at Goodison Park.
Benitez is a bona fide Anfield legend, famously leading the club to their fifth European Cup crown back in 2005 before that thrilling FA Cup final win against Crystal Palace 12 months’ later.
But are Everton really wasting their time in a potential approach for the Premier League Manager of the Year nominee?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
