Rafa Benitez and Everton fans certainly don’t have the best relationship, and fans might have forgotten their former manager calling the Toffees ‘small’.
It’s quite extraordinary that Benitez was Everton manager after his affiliation with Liverpool.
But it came to an occurrence in 2021 despite the fanbase strongly opposing the decision made.
He made countless mistakes during his tenure, and it was an appointment that was never going to work.
Farhad Moshiri thought Benitez was the ‘best man’ even after what he said about the Blues in 2007.
Rafa Benitez called Everton a ‘small club’ in 2007 after defending well against Liverpool
Ahead of the Merseyside Derby this Saturday, Benitez is a name that has a past with both sides, which is certainly a rarity.
On the red side of Merseyside, the iconic manager is a hero, whereas he is not looked upon with fondness on the Blue side.
Well, he wasn’t a big fan of the Toffees either when he was manager of Everton’s rivals, as the Spaniard had many complaints about David Moyes’ side in 2007, after a 0-0 draw in the Derby.
“You could see one team wanted to win, another wanted to lose,” Benitez said in the post-match interview.
“It’s not easy (to score) when they have eight players behind the ball. When you play against small clubs, it’s difficult.”
After saying this, no one would have expected Benitez to take the reigns as the boss of Everton 14 years later, and it just adds to what was a shocking appointment.
Benitez doesn’t believe his reputation was tarnished, but it didn’t make the move look any better.
Rafa Benitez’s Everton appointment was shambolic as he only wanted a return to Liverpool
Moshiri had plenty of wrongdoings, and unfortunately, this was one of them.
The Spaniard only lasted seven months at the helm of the Toffees in what was a disastrous spell, with a record that isn’t impressive to say the least.
Games played Won Drawn Lost Win percentage
22 7 5 10 31.8%
Rafa Benitez’s managerial record at Everton
But although it was Moshiri who brought him in, Benitez wanted to return to the City of Liverpool, so the reason he joined the Toffees was ultimately because of his spell with the Reds.
There seemed to be no ambition to join because of Everton’s project, and instead was a more personal desire.
It seemed like there was no running away from his past, and calling the Toffees a ‘small club’ probably didn’t help his chances.
