You could call Everton FC’s move to appoint Rafa Benitez as the successor to Carlo Ancelotti a polarizing decision, but there seems to be one polarity that’s making a lot more noise right now. Of course, it’s typical and comes with the territory- the angry get much more attention.
Some Everton fans have an open mind about the decision to hire a former Liverpool boss. Other supporters are irate at the concept of bringing in a former leader of the club’s most hated rivals. Check out this video from a decade and a half ago, following a 0-0 Merseyside derby in February of 2007:
Then Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez called Everton “a small club” due to the, well, uhm, uhh “pragmatic” tactics that they played that day. Watching that video today takes on another level of irony entirely, when you consider how his Newcastle United teams often played.
Obviously, time does not heal all wounds, and many Toffees supporters have not forgotten this slight, or some of the others that the now 61 year old Spaniard has made over the years.
He still keeps a home in Liverpool, despite his career taking him to such places as Real Madrid, Napoli, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and most recently Dalian Professional in the Chinese Super League since his tenure at Anfield.
“We are appointing Rafa because we believe he will bring success to our Club and to Evertonians,” reads the club statement announcing the hiring of Benitez.
We can confirm Rafael Benitez has been appointed as our new manager.
— Everton (@Everton) June 30, 2021
“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.”
Amid the strong backlash from supporters against his appointment, Rafa Benitez has made a call for peace and unity.
“I know what it means for Evertonians,” he said in the public statement.
“I know what it means for people in the city and the passion they have. I think it is crucial for us to have the fans behind us. This year with the pandemic has been very difficult and football without the fans is totally different. I was following the form of Everton [last season] and obviously away from home they have been fine but not so good at home. Why? Because they didn’t have the fans behind. It is crucial.”
“I am expecting the fans – and I know all the things that people talk about – but I am expecting the fans after one year of not going to the stadium to go and stay behind the team. We need the fans behind the team and I think they will be.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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